Chapter 10 -- Maken (Part 2)

"Tomorrow night, once the sun's light has died, you will seek me out. Feel for me -- you will know where I am."

The words of that hideous monster Nerin echoed in Nisera's mind. He had yet to form a decent plan to eliminate him, though several ideas presented themselves. Nerin was weak and dying, and due to that and his extreme level, he needed a vast amount of Creation to survive. In his weakened state, he was probably suffering through a great deal of drowsiness. On bad days without energy consumption, Nisera easily slept a good nineteen hours. Under similar circumstances, he could imagine Nerin sleeping for two days straight. That weakness, more so than Nerin's sickness, would be his undoing. Now Nisera simply had to find a way to use it to his advantage.

Nisera traveled steadily towards the decay and brittle cold of Destruction. He could feel it very clearly to the northeast, though in a slightly different area. He wasn't surprised -- Nerin wouldn't have gone back to the exact place where he attacked. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, however. Many Destructionists and Creationists, the only ones that would be able to feel his entity, had been warned to stay away from the area. Very few knew exactly what was going on, but they didn't need to. As long as they knew where the danger -- Nerin -- was, then everything was good.

The black-haired Entitist traveled along with his mare Bip through the woods. With each step his horse grew more and more anxious. Nisera would lean down occasionally and pat the animal, whispering soft words into its ears. It was possible for animals, like humans and terlimans, to have entity control and entity perception (though they usually lacked the knowledge of how to use and control such abilities). He doubted that Bip was such a case, and instead attributed her uneasiness with natural intuition.

The lamp that Nisera held in his left hand cast a ghastly glow over the area. It was a similar scene to what he had witnessed before -- slowly the shrubs and ferns died away, and then the larger trees. Only skeletal, leafless limbs remained. Slowly the scent of decay began to creep into the captain's nostrils, growing stronger and stronger as he traveled through.

One of Bip's hooves hit a pocket of air and disease under unsettled dirt. Her leg sank into the ground by several inches as a cloud of black dust erupted into the air. Nisera choked on the smell. Bip neighed and thrashed her head, then pulled her leg out of the hole and proceeded to bucking, terrified. Nisera struggled to hold on but failed. He was thrown off and landed on his back in the soil as clouds of decay erupted up around him. The lantern, which had flown from his hand, landed nearby, and the glass shattered. Oil spilled around and was promptly lit by its own fire. Bip's terror grew, and she hit several more pockets in the soil.

Nisera, ignoring the pain in his back, got up on his feet and began to speak to his horse. "Bip, shhh, calm down!" he said soothingly. It wasn't working. Bip was past consolation, and he made sure to stay a good distance away from her, not wanting to be kicked. "Bip!"

A sickening chuckle came forward from seemingly nowhere. "Don't worry, Aydran. I'll calm her..."

Nisera pivoted and glanced around, his hands moving to his hips where his flima was holstered and his sword was sheathed. While he had left them abandoned the day before, the same people who went out to find the weakened sergeant and private also retrieved his weapons. Nisera now held his flima and Jurin Blade steadily, but could not see Nerin. "Come out, now!"

A chill swept through, along with another weak laugh. Bip, weakened greatly, went silent and ceased in moving. "You've brought your toys with you again? I thought I already taught you what I do to prevent use of such beastly weaponry, Aydran!"

Nisera couldn't hold back a growl. He knew his weapons would probably be useless, but he brought them out of... comfort. The world felt different without them near him. It was akin to going a day with his shirt off.

This time, his limbs did not go numb with cold. Instead, his weapons shook in his hands as if a force outside of his control were affecting them. He held onto them with all his strength as they were nearly ripped out of his grip.

This... is entity control!

He saw a figure in his peripheral vision. A great deal away, hiding in the shadows that the fire could not pierce, stood a tall male. He had one arm at his side and the other pointed at Nisera. He flicked his wrist to the side, and a powerful jerk pulled the weapons right out of the captain's hands. They floated in the air next to him, just out of his reach.

"Aydran, don't look so upset," came Nerin's voice again. Nisera saw a smaller, thinner shadow hiding behind the earth entitist. "This is your fault entirely." He turned his nose towards the tall, imposing man that stood near him. "Ah, my friend, might you hand me those?"

The earth entitist flicked his wrist again, and Nisera watched helplessly as his weaponry floated leisurely through the cold, night air towards the two men before him.

Nerin stepped forward, closer to the fire, and grabbed the flima out of the air. He held it cautiously in his frail, emaciated hands as his eyes scanned over it. All the while, Nisera took in details. The dying Destructionist wasn't quite as, well... filthy as he was the day before. Blood and dirt had been cleaned from him, leaving his ghastly pale skin clean. His chin-length black hair wasn't as matted and disgusting, though there were still many snarls that had to be removed. Frayed strands of it hung in front of his face, masking much of his black eyes. But despite the apparent change in hygiene, when Nerin smiled, there was still a thick covering of blood and decay coating his teeth.

"Such power I hold, and without any entities at all," he mused as he looked down at the flima. "Did you know that when the North Mekerians created this contraption, it was so revolutionary and so destructive that they were both awed and fearful? They practically put it on a pedestal and worshiped it, and from it they created more like it. They didn't know what to call it, so a few years after conquering the terlimans in Kera-nul, they borrowed Kerani words from the terlimans in order to name it. That's why it's proper name is the Teran Flima, the 'Fiery Arrow.' How interesting, considering that the 'arrow' inside isn't fiery at all. No, it's only iron." He chuckled and turned to face the tall man that still stood in the shadows. "I should call you Teran Flima from now on, don't you think? Would you like that?"

"Hmph, no thank you," the other man spoke. His voice was strong and beautiful to the ears, not too deep but only pleasantly so.

Nerin's eyes narrowed. "You needn't stand so far away, Maken. Don't be rude to our guest."

Something went off in Nisera's mind. He stared at the man named Maken as pieces began to connect.

Keira's friend Ruiki keeps mentioning that name.

"Hmph," he repeated. "I'm sorry Nerin, but when I said I'd help -- "

"Really, you shouldn't be rude, please," the Destructionist said, annoyed. "I want Aydran to become comfortable with both me and my associates. Now come forward."

There was a great deal of muttering and complaining. The man finally stepped forward into the light, and Nisera blinked several times. He was heterosexual, but even he couldn't deny that this earth entitist had to be one of the most handsome men he had ever seen. His face wasn't necessarily tan, but had a natural pigmentation that made it appear so. Short, impeccably groomed brown hair graced his head. He was tall and well-built, not necessarily muscular but definitely toned and elegantly slim. He didn't smile but his lips were formed perfectly, as was his nose, being neither too large nor too small, and his cheekbones were strong but not imposing. However... his earth-brown eyes, while beautiful, were oddly cold.

Maken came over quickly, looking just as annoyed as Nerin. "Fine. I'm here." He tapped his foot impatiently, and Nisera heard the soft tap-tap-tap of leather-made shoes. They were of North Mekerian make. The rest of his clothing, consisting of a simple brown tunic and matching slacks, were the same.

"Thank you, Maken," Nerin said, his annoyance dissipating. "Now, introduce yourself."

Looking very worn and frustrated, Maken spoke impatiently. "Nerin, I got you your meal, and I should tend to her before -- "
"No wonder you had to lock Ki-Rui up in order to make him stay by your side!" Nerin said viciously. "You have the worst manners I have ever seen! Introduce yourself!"

Maken, his eyes narrowed, glanced briefly at Nisera. "The name's Maken," he said shortly.

For several moments Nisera didn't speak. His mind was on what Nerin had said last. Ki-Rui? That sounded much like Ruiki. Mistrust welled up within him. Ruiki knew this Maken character, who in turn knew Nerin... Nisera clenched his fists, a murderous glint in his eyes. The strange entity transference had already caused him a great deal of grief as they affected him, Ari, Keira, and possibly others. But, they seemed out of anyone's control. However, Nerin was a dangerous character, and he knew Maken, who apparently knew Ruiki. Was Ruiki perhaps part of the game, working with this lunatic? Nisera's cheeks grew hot. Yes, he and possibly Relik. The two of them were dangerously close to Keira. He wouldn't allow anyone to harm her; he swore right then and there that he would cause his own decay if he failed to protect her.

It took Nisera a moment to realize that Nerin was waiting for him to respond. "Captain Aydran Nisera," he said gruffly.

Nerin, looking pleased, gave a nod. "Yes. Maken, he's part of the military. The captain of some fine legion... but you already know that, don't you?" He smirked at Nisera. "Aydran, my friend Maken is a great asset to me. He is able to venture into the city, unlike me... though he has only done so once. And, better yet, he is able to bring me food. He has found that the young, pretty ones draw to him like flies, don't they, Maken? Understandable, for he is quite a sight to behold. And, as it turns out, these fragile little Creationists he brings back for me to consume are quite talkative, eh? That's how I found out about your golden-haired friend."

Nisera found it hard to breathe. "You... you consume -- "

"I told you before, murder is seductive," Nerin said, licking his lips. "Life tastes so sweet, does it not? But don't worry, I've only had two so far, though in a moment I'm about to have my third. Would you care to join me?"

"You're vile, sick -- "

"No? Very well. I'll save her for once you're gone." He turned to Maken. "You look bored."

Indeed, the earth entitist did look very bored. He gave a grim nod and closed his eyes momentarily, as if he were about to fall asleep where he stood.

"Hmm. Fine, go tend to the girl," Nerin instructed. "Comfort her, lie to her, do what you must to calm her. I hate it when they scream."

Maken, looking much happier with this task, sighed and walked off at a brisk pace. When his footsteps faded, Nisera strained to listen and thought he heard a week weeping from a distance away.

"I hope they scream," Nisera breathed. "And I hope you wake up in the middle of the night, thinking about how they begged and about how you'll -- "

"Oh, about how I'll have to live with part of their souls inside me?!" he asked rather maniacally. "Should I repent? I don't see the point, really. It's my duty. I am the destruction of the world. Do you forget that I am an Embodiment?"

Nisera had to swallow his disbelief. Nerin was demented. "I did not forget."

"Good. Aydran, I am responsible for the decay and dissipation of all life in this world. Killing a few Creationists is nothing. I have killed thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of people, animals, and even lowly plants. I am fated to murder. You couldn't possibly disagree with me."

"Yes I can. Unless the Temple Guardians are liars and over a century of history is false, you are a mere vessel of the Destruction within you. I can control every part of my powers, but as for you and the other Embodiments, your abilities are dictated more so by the cycles of nature, not your own interference."

Nerin laughed. "Spoken like a school boy. Yes, you are right. But us Embodiments do have a great degree of control over our abilities, even if we can't fully interfere with those natural cycles. No, those cycles go on without our knowledge, within us and outside of us, all thanks to the Central Entities encased in our mortal frames. But, us Embodiments still have powers unheard of, even if most of it is out of our reach.

"When a man dies, or a woman, or any creature in this world, they release the entity pieces within them. The pieces, usually unseen, go to their respective Embodiments. And, when a child is conceived, or even when something as small as a cut is being healed, us Embodiments lose a piece of ourselves. This is the natural cycle of growth and decay, the true nature of Ilanu Ji Vertis. But you already know this, as all school boys, military dogs, and faithful worshipers do. And, because of this natural cycle, I have killed more men and women than you have ever dreamed existed."

"Maybe so, but you never lifted a finger. Am I wrong?"

Nerin's eyes narrowed. "You're right. The cycle acted without my assistance." Suddenly he smiled. "But, some did dissipate before they were quite ripe..."

He laughed and Nisera struggled with controlling his anger. Destructionists certainly weren't born murderers, but this man was a monster.

Nerin's chuckling died down, and his black eyes locked onto Nisera's. "Tell me who you killed, Aydran."

Nisera's heart skipped a beat. He remembered the conversation the two of them had yesterday, and how Nerin's gaze had latched onto his eyes, seeing something within him that he never even knew was there. Hastily he looked away. "I killed no one."

"Liar. Look at me," he ordered, sounding very excited. "Let me see the pieces."

"No! There are no pieces! I have killed -- "

" -- someone!" Nerin finished with a laugh. "Only one, how weak. Tell me about it, Aydran. When did it happen, and why? Who was it? And, most importantly, did you enjoy it?"

Nisera leapt forward, his anger controlling him in a violent and blasphemous way. He didn't stop to think about how he was going against his religion, and he certainly didn't thing about Nerin's powerful abilities until the cold cut through him like a knife, and he fell to his knees. Momentarily their eyes caught, and though he tried terribly to look away, the damage was done.

"Aha!" Nerin cried victoriously. "I see it now! Yes, a female... young, very young. A child, perhaps? You killed a little girl?!"

Nisera looked at him with wide eyes. "No, I never -- "

"Don't deny it! It's in your nature! And... what are those, tears?"

Indeed, tears had began to well up in the captain's eyes. He wiped at them hastily.

"Why are you crying, Aydran? Did you know her or are you merely upset that you could ever -- "

"Mina..."

The name was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. The tears were slowly traveling down his cheeks and to his lips. His body shook gently as he breathed.

"I was so young," he whispered. "I was still a boy. Puberty was affecting me, and my powers were becoming harder to control..."

"Ah, puberty," Nerin said with an overly done sigh. "The time when boys become men and mortals become Embodiments. Always so young."

"Mina was my little sister," Nisera continued weakly. "She was beautiful. She had the prettiest, whitest hair I've ever seen on a Creationist. She was six... so delicate, so small... I loved her. She meant the world to me."

"How did it happen?" Nerin asked, and very shockingly, his voice held an odd sort of empathy. There was no excitement.

"One day in autumn, I caught a sickness and gained a fever," Nisera said. "That night when I slept, I had night terrors... and I lost c-control..."

His voice was beginning to break. He hadn't cried over Mina in many years. Now, everything was pouring out of him, and he couldn't stop himself from speaking.

"I felt her Life so close, and I drained her of it!" he gasped. "I felt so comforted by the warmth of it, and I was so terribly sick... and before I knew it, she was... she was..."

He lost himself, burying his face in his hands and trying to stop the tears.

"But I was a kid!" he cried. "I didn't know what I was doing! I couldn't control myself!"

"And have you changed, Aydran?" Nerin asked softly. "Can you control yourself now?"

"Y-yes! I vowed that I would never lose control again!" he said, and after a moment of silence, he calmed himself down a bit. "M-my family was well-off. We had connections, and the official records state that Mina died in an accident. I made it up to my family, and to my government, the best way I could. I joined the military at fourteen, hardly two months after Mina's death. Years later, when they asked me to become part of the Entitists' Legion, I gladly accepted, and it wasn't long before I began to oversee it."

There was a long silence after that. Nerin was staring unabashingly at Nisera, and the captain tried his hardest to ignore his gaze. He concentrated on his breathing and his tears, and eventually his body had calmed sufficiently.

Then, Nerin laughed.

"W-what?!" Nisera choked, glancing upward.

The laugh was devastatingly cruel not because of any sadism it might have held, but because of the sheer amount of genuine amusement within the tone. Nisera had died that day when Mina passed away, and now the wounds were opening once again. Nerin was torturing him, spiting him.

The Destructionist's laughing stopped only when he had trouble breathing. He coughed desperately, curling up his thin frame as blood erupted from his mouth and nostrils. A small pool of blood and mucus had congregated by the time he had calmed his body down sufficiently -- still, his breaths alone were enough to shake his entire body. Weak, soft chuckles escaped him only now. He looked at Nisera with devilish eyes, his black irises glinting with delight.

"Mmm, did you like the taste of her, you incestuous bastard?"

Nisera couldn't breathe. Shock and disbelief at such foul words took hold -- the rage had yet to come.

There was another pathetic whine of a chuckle, laced with madness. "The taste must have been exquisite, Aydran, for you to drink the lifeblood of your sister. How old did you say she was? Six? Ah, so you're also a pedophile, then?"

Nisera, though unarmed, hesitated no longer. His right fist was aimed at the lunatic's face, and he put all the force he had behind it. He wouldn't let Nerin spit on his sister's memory.

A piercing cold hit him, freezing his bones and locking his joints. His knees, going numb, gave way and his legs folded beneath him.

"You said she was beautiful, Aydran?" Nerin taunted. "If it's any consolation, I killed my mother. She was beautiful, too. But I was never attracted to a child."

"It wasn't like that," Nisera breathed through clenched teeth. He was laying in the dirt, propping himself up with his arms and completely unable to feel his cold legs. "Don't you dare take this out of context and twist it around for your own pleasure!"

"My own pleasure? You hypocrite. You thrived off of her life, and now you thrive off of her death and shadow."

"What are you talking about?!"

"You said it yourself. Mina meant the world to you... not in life, but in death. It is because of her that you strive to succeed. You are a man because you are a murderer. Without her demise, you wouldn't care so much about proper entity control, would you?" He chuckled again, and lowered his voice, teasing. "Did she feel good, Captain?"

"Sick men like you don't need to be exiled -- they need to be killed," Nisera spat.

Nerin gave a wide smile. "Ah, and the murderer wishes to kill again! She did feel good, didn't she?! Yes, I can see it in your eyes, in the way you want to -- "

Once again Nisera attempted to get a hit in, aiming to knock out the bastard's teeth. His anger was met with another blast of icy destruction.

"Oho!" Nerin laughed as Nisera fell out of his kneeling position and on his face in the dirt. "In order to control your abilities, you need to control your emotions, too."

"Shut up!" Nisera barked before causing an icy chill of his own. If only he could get a bit of energy, just a small amount...

"You know, I could help you," Nerin offered with a decaying smile, apparently unaffected by Nisera's own powers. "I think you'd need -- "

"I don't want your help!" he yelled. "I can control myself just fine!"

Nerin chuckled. "And what of when you grow stronger, Aydran?"

Nisera, who hadn't found even the remotest bit of life within his immediate vicinity, froze. "Are you talking about... the entity that -- "

"Yes, my little gift," Nerin said. "It's only just begun. Will you be able to control yourself when you're as powerful as I am?"

The desperation that filled Nisera's mind was overwhelming. Apparently it was shining in his eyes, for Nerin suddenly laughed.

"Don't look so upset! You're not the only one to be affected by an Embodi-- "

Snap.

Nisera and Nerin both glanced into the trees upon hearing the distinct snapping of a twig, and then following it, the rustling of bushes. There was the briefest of flashes, and momentarily Nisera's eyes were dazzled by two glimpses of bright silver. After that was a heavy silence, and the two Destructionists continued to stare at where the noises and lights had come from. There was only silence and darkness.

"Hmm..." Nerin hummed to himself, closing his eyes for a brief moment. "Ah, such warmth... Well, isn't this interesting?"

Nisera wasn't sure whether or not he should have focused on the glimpse of light or on Nerin, but a moment later Nerin's eyes caught his own. In them he saw a seriousness that frightened him slightly.

"Can you feel them yet?" he asked.

"What?"

"I know you can feel me, but can you feel the other Embodiments and your fellow counterparts?"

"It is impossible to be able to feel entities that are not your own."

"Ah, but that's not true, is it?" he asked with a laugh. "It isn't for me, anyway! I can feel all the Life and Death in this world just as any Creationist or Destructionist can feel it around them... but I can also feel my comrades."

"What are you talking about?"

"I am an Embodiment, Aydran! I am one of seven! I am connected with the others! Together, we are complete. And, just as I can feel them, I am also beginning to feel their counterparts. Ah," he sighed, "such incredible glows... Your favorite is of the golden-haired counterpart, correct?"

Keira...

"She feels so much like Relik already," he chuckled.

Nisera had to hold back any sort of outburst. Relik and Ruiki were dangerous, surely aligned with the man-man Nerin and his lackey Maken. Sinful thoughts of violence and murder threatened to take control of him, and it took a lot of power to stop from unleashing his abilities.

"Such warmth," Nerin murmured before glancing back at the bushes. "I do hope Maken behaves when he sees his pet..." He looked back at Nisera and cocked his head to the side. "Why in this lovely world do you look so distraught, Aydran?"

Nisera, still thinking of Relik and Ruiki, didn't reply.

"Aydran, you look absolutely murderous."

He took a breath. "You spoke of Relik."

Nerin seemed to brighten. "Ah, yes, I did! Do you know him?"

"Yes."

"How wonderful!" he laughed. "Tell me, how does he fare in the city? I'm very surprised he's able to handle so many people near him. Poor fool."

"I also know of Ruiki... or Ki-Rui," Nisera said through clenched teeth.

"Is that so? Amazing! Ah, I always did like Ki-Rui, though I was never sure what he thought of me. How is he?"

Nisera swallowed both his pride and his fear. "Nerin... I am willing to make a deal with you."

Nerin blinked. "A deal?"

"I want them gone. Out of the city. And in return, I will gladly do anything you want, tell you anything you want, and never complain."

There was a good deal of laughter. "You already gave me your obedience so that I would not harm your golden-haired friend. Though, you have been rather rebellious, so maybe I should go see her..."

"W-what?! No! Please!"

The laughing continued. "I jest! I only jest! But, even if you hadn't agreed to be obedient and should we be discussing your 'deal' right now, I would not be able to accept it. You see, Aydran, I have no control over Relik and Ruiki."

It felt as if something hit Nisera across the face. "What?"

"Maken is my helper... but Ruiki and Relik?! Oh no, no, no! It's a pitiful thing, but they want little to do with me! They think I am their enemy!"

"What?" Nisera repeated weakly.

"For reasons I can't quite explain, they seem to think I am insane and dangerous," he said with a wicked, decaying smile.

There was a lapse in silence that Nisera deemed very uncomfortable. He stared at Nerin with eyes torn between fear, disgust, and wariness. In return, the other man could only yawn.

"I am tired and I believe you are as well. Since you are not joining me for dinner, I highly suggest you go home now, Captain."

Nerin held out Nisera's weaponry, and any sort of chill that might have been lurking in the area died away completely. Nisera was very weak and numb in many parts of his body, though every part of him was still alive. As he looked at his weapons he wondered if Nerin was perhaps testing him. Somehow, he struggled and he found enough energy to reach out and take them, but hesitated just before his fingers brushed against the metal of the Jurin Blade and the flima. Then, watching Nerin for any sort of reaction, he took them.

"Go home and rest, and return tomorrow at the same time," Nerin said. He was moving now, heading away from Nisera and into the shadows. He had yet to turn his back. "Bring your weapons tomorrow and I will have Maken break them."

Nisera didn't reply. Instead he gripped the cold metal in his hands and watched as the 'Embodiment' moved away. For a great long time Nerin did not turn his back. Then, just as the shadows seemed to swallow him whole, he turned.

A sense of urgency filled Nisera as he gripped the flima. Thinking only of Keira, he lifted the weapon and took aim. He did not shake with fear or anything of the sort. Setting Nerin's dark figure in his sights, he did not hesitate and he immediately pulled the trigger.

Click.

Nisera blinked. There had been no shot. Hell, there hadn't even been an ignition of the gun powder inside! Instead there had been nothing more than the pathetic click of the hammer.

Nearby, Nerin laughed. He continued to walk as if nothing had happened.

Bewildered and distraught, Nisera quickly opened the chamber of his weapon. There was no gunpowder, and upon looking at the bullet, he saw many cracks along its surface. He touched it and it turned to metallic dust. He thought of Maken and willed himself not to cry out in anger.

Tired and defeated, Nisera thought briefly about perhaps running after Nerin and using his Jurin Blade instead, but he found that he hadn't enough energy to run. And then, even if he did... Nerin's Destruction would overpower him. He couldn't do a damn thing. The thought sickened him. Did he have any control at all, or was he merely a pawn in Nerin's twisted little fantasy?

He decided that he would head back. He focused on Keira and he found that he wanted nothing more than to see her. Turning, he saw Bip still stuck in the diseased earth and noted that she was not moving. He tried to feel her Life and found only pieces, the life of her undecayed body but only fragments of her soul. An immediate feeling of grief came over him, but within seconds it was overcome by an anger so strong that it threatened to throw him into madness. But, yet again he found himself too weak to do a damn thing, and the powerlessness of the situation was overwhelming. So, he thought once again of Keira and prepared for the long walk back to the city.

--

Maybe I shouldn't have done this...

For the entire journey out of the city and into the wilderness, Ruiki focused on Maken's stony feel and smiled to himself. Finally he would be able to see him after many months being apart. He didn't think about Nerin's frigid presence nearby, for the dangers meant nothing now that he was so close. But, things changed when he stepped on that one damned twig.

Sneaking through the woods, Ruiki didn't make much noise. He had spent the first 13 years of his life in Kera-nul, the forest region inhabited by terlimans. He was quiet and hid himself as well as he could, making sure to stay out of moonlight. The last thing he needed was for the light to reflect off of the opal spots in his eyes.

However, when Ruiki heard two familiar voices, he paid less attention to safe, quiet movements and instead focused on eavesdropping. He listened carefully and realized it was Nerin and Aydran. Still he did not feel in any danger. Hearing something about Embodiments, he moved forward...

Snap.

Of all things, he had stepped on a lone twig. He saw Nerin and Captain Nisera immediately glance his way, and he fell back into a nearby bush just as his eyes widened. They continued to stare his way and he immediately snapped his eyes shut, praying that there hadn't been a telltale flash from any sort of ambient light. That was when he wondered if he had perhaps put himself in a great deal of danger.

I still have to see Maken.

He waited a few moments, then carefully turned and silently began to move onward. Desperation kept the fear at bay. He was terrified of Nerin, and knew that the man could kill him almost instantaneously if he wished. But, he hadn't done it, and Ruiki decided that he would move along before the Destructionist changed his mind.

He felt the cold, stony presence of Maken nearby. He was so very close. Once again he smiled. He had missed Maken terribly. It was hard to be with someone, day and night for many years, and then suddenly have them vanish for months at a time. But, now he would be with him again, and a happiness unlike any other came over him.

As Ruiki continued forward, he began to hear a small weeping. He paused momentarily. Was someone else in the area? He was very, very close to Maken now, close enough that his entity was overwhelming. It was now impossible to tell exactly where he was with such a large signature. So, he carefully moved forward, following the sound of a female crying.

The crying grew louder and it wasn't long before Ruiki heard a second voice as well. It was a male voice. It was Maken's voice. Ruiki found himself shaking with anticipation as he approached. He paused when he saw movement up ahead of him -- the tall Embodiment he was looking for stood in a small clearing, holding a young woman to his chest and pressing his hand against her mouth to muffle the noise. Her hands and feet were bound with chains made of stone.

"Hush now, quiet," Maken said soothingly. Ruiki watched, hiding in the foliage, as his old companion moved to cover the woman's nose as well as her mouth. She struggled but could do nothing. "No need to make things worse than they have to be."

The woman soon lost conciousness and went limp. Maken supported her, not once letting her fall. He carried her several feet away to a fallen tree, and he sat there with the woman in his lap. He ran his fingers through her white hair, seeming slightly intoxicated by her. But, this broke a moment later when he looked up, his handsome brown eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Do I sense... Ki-Rui?" he asked, then smiled.

Ruiki let out a laugh and leapt from his spot of hiding. He ran up to Maken and threw his arms around him in a very tight hug, nearly smothering the woman that was in his lap. He was almost crying with joy. "Maken! It's been months! I didn't know I could survive!"

There was a soft chuckle. "Ki-Rui, please, let me go."

"That's no way to greet me!" Ruiki laughed, only clinging tighter.

"Ki-Rui... please," he said calmly, then began to push the redhead away.

Ruiki was at first confused by Maken's lack of a decent greeting, but then he just convinced himself that his friend was tired or something of the like. It made enough sense. It wasn't against Maken's nature to turn Ruiki away if he wasn't in a good mood. So, thinking of this, he obliged, but grinned from ear to ear. "I'm so happy our paths have crossed!" he laughed. "My counterpart is in the city, and so is yours! Isn't this joyous?"

"Sure, why not," he said with a gentle smile, not looking too engaged. His eyes flickered down to the Creationist in his arms.

"The world is so big, Maken! I never knew that until we were separated! Heh, it's nice being able to walk around in the grass and look up at buildings for once. We never had that at home! Hey, maybe we can go do some traveling together! What do you think?"

Ruiki was babbling on like an excited child. He and Maken had a long history together. Ruiki remembered the first day he met him with absolute clarity. Having been a hybrid, Ruiki had no choice but to live a different life from the other terlimans in Kera-nul. The others tried to accept him as best they could, being kind and gentle, but his very existence created problems within the workings of the group. The way they followed Ilanu Ji Vertis was strict -- they did not tamper with nature in any way, and that included no clothing, no built shelters, no weapons for fighting or hunting, and no fires for cooking food, and not using their entity control. The people took what they needed from the land but no more, and they altered nothing. But Ruiki was a hybrid. His body could not handle eating the raw food, and while he could run much faster than humans, he often wasn't fast enough for the wild animals he had to hunt and eat. This meant he sometimes had to use tools for hunting, and he always needed to make a fire. The group didn't abandon him but they certainly could not assist him, even when he was very little. And so, his mother, a pureblooded terliman, made the fires for him and helped him with his first hunts. They were both considered sinners, constantly pitied, and could do nothing to end their sinning. Things only grew worse when Ruiki hit puberty, and his powers made themselves shown. The height of his abilities frightened some of the others, especially since using them at all was against their sect of the religion.

It wasn't long after that that two elderly humans, Juno and Tai, arrived in Kera-nul. They brought with them a human teenager as well... Maken. He was from a small city in North Meker, and when Juno and Tai found him, they had to kidnap him to remove him from his dwelling. But, it was for the best. Maken had shown signs of having been abused both physically and sexually. It had gotten to the point where he no longer resisted and assumed such things were normal in every family. When Ruiki met Maken, the two were both very interested in one another and found something that they subconsciously needed. Maken found a companion that did not try to assert authority over him in any manner. And Ruiki found someone who didn't care if he was a hybrid who lived a little differently from the rest... he found someone who smiled at his differences and embraced them. Juno and Tai were the Embodiments of fire and earth, and Ruiki, a counterpart and destined to be one of the next Embodiments, was taken from his home willingly. For the first time in his life he found himself with people that didn't treat him as a sinner, with people that not only accepted him but also helped him. Maken was especially helpful. He was older than Ruiki by several years, and acted as an older brother. The two were fascinated with each other and became great friends.

Juno and Tai were passing along the Central Entities because their bodies were dying and they couldn't contain such power anymore. As they passed onto the next two strongest people in the world in the fields of fire and earth, both Ruiki and Maken had to come to terms with what they would become. At first they were excited with the idea of becoming mortal gods, especially Maken... but then they learned what would happen to them physically and things changed. First their eyes and hair would change color. But, then their nails would do the same, and a constant glow would emanate from their eyes. Over time, as the power grew, an aura would surround them both, rendering them something beyond human or terliman, something unnatural. They would be unable to interact normally with society... in particular, Ruiki's mere presence alone would cause wildfires and entire villages to burn to the ground. They had to stay somewhere where they would not harm people or nature. It was the destiny of the other young Embodiments as well... and they all made sure to move immediately to places of safety. Fenlian and Ki-Judan, the Embodiments of air and water, traveled the world in fierce rain storms but generally stayed in mountainous regions, or in the very sky itself. Relik stayed in the Nioborno Mountains by himself, constantly encompassed by an electrical storm, deciding for his own mysterious reasons to stay there instead of travel with Fenlian and Ki-Judan. Meanwhile, Alitair and Nerin, the Life and Death of the world, usually stayed together, their energies canceling one another out and thus making the appear 'normal'. Once every few years, the elemental Embodiments would do what Nerin and Alitair did and group together, thus canceling all of their own powers out... but then they would split away for various reasons, usually due to some sort of skirmish. Maken and Ruiki would then go back into their area of seclusion... deep into the earth far to the north. They did not cancel each other out, but Maken, being the Embodiment of earth, could handle Ruiki's intense heat and did not burn when near him. So, they found companionship in one another.

However, their relationship started off... oddly. At first Ruiki hadn't wanted to be secluded underground. In fact, Maken actually had to force him, trapping him beneath the many layers of stone against his will. But, Maken was like a brother... most of the time, when he wasn't asserting authority over the younger male. Ruiki learned after the deaths of Juno and Tai that Maken would be his protector and companion. But it took him a very long time to understand that abuse in many forms and dominance were to be the norm...

... Of course, he never quite understood that there were other options. After all, thinking of such things would involve contemplating the possibility of loneliness. He couldn't endure that after finding someone who actually accepted him and his way of life. Abandoning such companionship wasn't an option. So, he decided to keep it... at first hating and fearing the cost, but then later growing to accept and even enjoy it in the same way that Maken did when he was a child...

Now that they had been separated for several months, Ruiki had tasted independence. At first he didn't know how he would handle the loss, but he learned thing weren't too terrible. He had had Relik to speak with, at the very least. Still, he had missed Maken terribly. On some days it was consuming. But now, things would get better.

"Look at us now," he said joyously. "We're not affected like we were before. We're slowly becoming normal. For the first time in our lives, we can enter cities and -- "

"Yes, I suppose that would be interesting," he replied offhandedly, his eyes still caught on the young Creationist.

Ruiki paused, then followed Maken's gaze. "Who is she?"

"No one you need to be concerned about," he said with a charming smile. He began tracing small designs on her skin with the tips of his fingers.

Ruiki watched and felt something rise up within him. He stared at the Creationist, at her lovely pale skin and white hair, and felt sickened and angered. "What is she doing here? And stop doing that."

"I told you, she doesn't concern you. And stop doing what?"

"You know what I'm talking about," he said bitterly.

His friend paused, actually glancing up for once. "Oh, I see. You're jealous."

"What? I'm not -- "

"Don't worry, she's just a toy, nothing more," Maken assured him, smiling ever so charmingly, and all the while with a cool detachment in his brown eyes.

Ruiki smiled. Yes, just a toy. That was understandable. Still, it riled him up a bit even if he understood the way Maken worked... even if he understood Maken's methods that were obtained after his abuse.

"Ki-Rui," he suddenly said, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, of course. Why else?"
"Such... emotion," Maken said with a smirk. Then he moved on. "You shouldn't have done that. You should be in the city."

"As should you. I've met your counterpart, you know. Why haven't you come near him yet? Why are you out here? It's dangerous."

"I'm here because of Nerin," he said calmly, now glancing back down at the Creationist.

Ruiki grew anxious. "Maken, I saw him just a little while ago! He noticed me but he let me go! What's going on here? Are you alright? Did he threaten you?"

"Well, I -- "

"This isn't safe! He's mad! We have to get out of here! I don't know how he's holding you here, but I'll help you, and -- "

"Help me?"

"Yes! Or don't you remember what Alitair said? Nerin has betrayed us all. He's power hungry, he'll -- "

"He's a wake, dying man," Maken said apathetically.

"He's a lunatic! He's... he'll..."

Ruiki went silent as Maken, not seeming to care about a thing in the world, paid no attention whatsoever and began whispering and cooing at the healer he held.

"What the hell are you doing?! This is serious!"

"Yes, but not the part you're dwelling on."

"What?"

"I'm not in any danger at all, and neither are you if you stay calm." He looked up. "Tell me, Ki-Rui, how do you think Nerin escaped his confinements?"

"Huh? I dunno, what does that matter?"

"The man is emaciated and coated in his own blood. I've never seen a sicker creature in my life. How would a man like that get out of a stone tomb?"

"Who cares? He -- "

"He had help, Ki-Rui," he said with a smile. "Tell me, who do you know who could disassemble a stone tomb with a mere flick of the wrist?" The smile grew. "Perhaps someone who built it just as easily?"

Ruiki didn't want to understand it. "Maken... that's..."

"He was so weak when I found him," he said. "I had to carry him out of there and to an area with life. When I did, he was so eager for Creation that he nearly drained it all out of me as well."

"You... you helped...!"

"You have to understand me, Ki-Rui," he said. "When I entombed him under Alitair's orders, I didn't know what I was doing. He screamed such terrible things at me and Alitair... things I didn't think about until later. But then they made sense -- "

"You... no, I can't believe you would help Nerin!"

"What? Why not? It -- "

Ruiki thought of the reasons for their separation and grew panicked. They went away to find their counterparts, to pass the Central Entities along once Nerin grew weak. Ruiki had endured such torture... and for what?!

"Maken! For over two months I was stuck with Relik! You know, the Embodiment that stayed isolated up in the Nioborno Mountains for ten years... him! Do you have any idea how lonely and miserable I was?!"

"No, I don't," he said carelessly. "We were isolated for ten years too, Ki-Rui. Why didn't you make friends with him, and -- "

"It wasn't the same, and you know it! He was alone for a decade but we were together! We weren't isolated like -- "

Maken's eyes narrowed. "We were underground."

"But that was of our choice!" he said desperately. "At any rate, we had each other! When Alitair told us to go after our Counterparts while you stayed with her to lock away Nerin... I didn't know what I'd do! Are you meaning to tell me that tat was all for nothing?!"

Maken suddenly smiled. "Are you upset?"

"Yes! Very! You know that! I missed you!"

"Did you really?" he asked with a glare before going silent.

Never had silence been so deafening. Ruiki first couldn't breathe, then inhaled sharply as the emotions took hold. Gasping and exhaling, shaking and squirming, he stared with wide eyes. "Wh-what are you saying?!"

He and Maken had a connection... right? The hybrid wouldn't believe anything else.

Maken gazed at him with calm, handsome eyes. "How much did you miss me?"

"Terribly! You know that!" He wanted to move forward, but his legs weren't steady.

There was a short but hearty laugh. "Why?"

Once again Ruiki couldn't breathe. A moment passed and he let out a yell. "What is wrong with you?!"

"What's wrong with you?" the other Embodiment said coolly... coldly. "Ki-Rui... I know we spent many years together in that hellhole..." he chuckled at his little pun, "but we had no choice, remember?" He gave a manipulative smile. "Don't let it get to your head."

"No choice?! I... we -- "

"We used each other. We needed someone near so as not to go into madness, that is all." That smile caught Ruiki's eye and held him tightly. "I kept you because I needed you, and you didn't leave because you realized you needed me, too." He glanced away, still smiling, and looked fondly down at the sleeping girl in his arms. "Do you deny this?"

A jealous rage filled Ruiki as he looked at the Creationist. "What, have I been replaced?"

"My precious Ki-Rui, don't sound so angry. You'll wake Nerin's meal."

"Have I been replaced, Maken?!"

"Replaced? I wouldn't use that word, sweetie. It's just not accurate. In order to be replaced, you need to have had a solid position in the first place."

"Over ten years we were together, and you're telling me -- "

"We were together because we had no one else," he sneered. "We started off as friends, almost as brothers, but when things got urgent... we used each other and that has been our relationship. But, now because of Nerin's sickness..." He held out his hand in front of him, looking at the nails joyously. "Look, no glow! Neither of us are trapped anymore by those telltale signs! We can interact -- " he looked down at the girl he held, " -- with the mortals, and they'll never guess what we are, or the things we've done. We don't have to hide underground. When I first started receiving my powers from Juno, I was driven by a lust for power... after all, it would be incredible to be a mortal god. But when I realized that we'd look like freaks... well, I was afraid. But now... now I'm free. Thanks to Nerin's weakened body, the Central Entity is passing along to another mortal, and ours is doing the same. I'll be human again."

"I don't understand you at all!" Ruiki yelled, confused and wounded. "I didn't stay because I had no one else... I didn't stay because we no longer looked normal... I stayed because I -- "

"What, because you loved me? Oh c'mon, our relationship was fun, but... love?" He chuckled as Ruiki shook. "We took care of each other in many ways, but it was only out of loneliness, urgency, and boredom. Besides, I know you don't love me."

"What?!"

"What's his name, that redhead, your counterpart?" Maken's eyes narrowed possessively. "You've become close to him."

"How... how do you know of -- "

"Relik's smart -- he's not getting emotional with his counterpart," he continued as if Ruiki had never interrupted him. "But you've flirted numerous times with yours, at least that's what this little Creationist said. She works up there with the military. She saw you once or twice with a redheaded soldier." His voice had lost its cool. "Did you think I was stupid, that I wouldn't find out? You're free to do what you please and interact with the pilgrims, and in your joy you're looking at them the way I used to look at you. You're free to take control. You want to have a bit of fun, no strings attached. So don't you dare speak to me about love as you look at those fools."

"You hypocrite! Look at yourself! How many men and women have you gotten your hands on since we've been apart?!"

"I am no hypocrite! When have I spoken of love? I haven't. I'm having an absolutely great time with my fans, Ki-Rui. I'm enjoying every minute of it. But, I don't love you. You're the one who claims to love me even though you've got your eyes on another. Don't accuse me of hypocrisy in defense of your own transgressions."

Ruiki couldn't take anymore. He began to back away, nearly tripping on the decaying tree-roots woven into the earth. Maken only smiled as his companion turned his back and ran, heading back to the city. The hybrid closed his eyes occasionally, risking possible falls, as he tried to remove the image from his mind of Maken's eyes scanning lustfully over the body of the sleeping Creationist.