Fan Fiction ❯ Shifting Fates ❯ Shifting Fates Book One: ch. 4 ( Chapter 4 )

"Jays… This place is far enough away! And big!" The van carrying Yuki had entered the game preserve an hour ago and was only now reaching its destination. Six hours of running and I'm exhausted! The compound loomed in front of him, the cement walls austere and forbidding. He took a breather, spending the next half-hour scanning the building for possible escape routes. Once things seemed quiet he got up enough nerves to try his plan. If you could call walking in through the front door a plan.

He was stopped only once, at the front desk.

"Name? Generation?"

"Kashiwa, Taro. Generation?" But the man was already typing.

"Personal ID code please."

"9-6-7-epsilon."

"You check out. Generation designation is 15c. Enjoy the premises."

Taro nodded and walked on. 15c? What the heck is that supposed to mean? He spent a few minutes wandering down the only corridor before finally encountering its end. He pushed open the set of thick door and found himself in an enclosed walkway. Below him and around him were rooms, dozens of giant rooms with high, clear ceilings. They looked like aviaries with their random scattering of what appeared to be perches. It feels like I'm in a zoo… Or at least a mental ward, he quickly amended. He'd looked down and seen people. Shinoarii in their human guises, he had to assume. But there was something subtly wrong with their behavior, something that made him shiver and quicken his pace. The walkway dead-ended into a flight of stairs, which he quickly descended. Opening the next door was a task, but he finally managed to get past the five inches of solid metal and unnaturally tight hinges.

The corridor about him radiated strength. Doors lined the hall, each bolted and barred, with only a tiny window to view the occupant. He put his face to one panel and felt his breath catch. Ye gods. There's nothing subtle about this one's problems. A huge male shinoarii crouched in a corner, slitted pupils fully dilated and saliva running in rivulets down his muzzle. The pointed snout turned so one bloodshot eye could fix on him.

The dull thud of flesh and bone hitting metal was slow to fade; the echoes lingering like the scent of flowers in spring. The shinoarii slid down, his clawed hands gouging the metal. All that was soon left was a bloody streak on the plate glass, casting a red hue over that section of the hall. Taro blinked a moment then ran, his feet beating an impatient tempo that his heat eagerly matched. He crashed through the next door then came to a sudden halt. This room was different from the others he'd seen. There were only women in it. Women who appeared to be fully human but he knew were not. They milled about, pregnant or caring for children of various ages all under five.

This. This is what she was talking about. All of these, all of the males at least, were future killers, killers of their own kind. My kind, a part of his mind ventured. My kind. His vision blurred, graying at the edges. Oblivion beckoned but he dared not answer. I can do something. The control panel was at the other end of the stadium-sized room, tauntingly near to the clear wall of their cell. As he walked the women fell back in waves, clutching their young to their breasts, their faces suffused with fear. One button. The push of one button and the entire program would be set back for years. His fingers trembled as he reached for the touch plate. Music, the bittersweet sound of freedom, filled the hall as door after door slid open along the length of the walkway. He caressed the worn spots that had shown him what to do, murmuring a silent prayer for all the pain that had been caused.

One woman ventured to the open door, her eyes darting to him warily. None of the other women so much as moved. Taro raced over and caught hold of her sleeve before she could withdraw, her frightened wail causing the others to fall back. He yanked her out and shoved her towards the other door.

"Do you know any ways out other than the front door?" He asked her urgently. She nodded frantically.

"We were told a… a back way by someone we all count as friend." She stumbled over her words, her expression still frightened.

"Then run. Get out of here!" Expressions of hope and fear spread across every face as the women dashed out. Some paused for a moment to bow to him before rushing to freedom. But one stayed behind. She hesitated near an open door, her eyes round as her belly as she watched him.

"Go! Before they find out!" The woman moved to leave then, her dark brown hair flowing behind her like a veil. The scent of grasslands followed in her wake. He recognized the scent now as similar to the one that hovered near Yuki, only this was different… it had a distinctly different flavor to it. Were they anywhere else he would have sworn they had met before but he knew it to be impossible.

"Ponder it later, Taro-kun," he mumbled softly.

"Taro-kun." The remaining woman smiled tearfully, her tone suffused with happiness and a shade of longing. "Arigatou, Taro-kun."

"Hmm…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Aaiiiieeee!" Taro stopped in his tracks, skidding to an audible halt on the smooth marble floor. The cry had been nearby. He ran faster, relying on his enhanced senses to guide him down the paths of bleakly reflective stone.

"Get away!!!" There! He kicked the door open, destroying the hinges as it crashed into the wall. One guard bellowed in alarm, the other in pain as Yuki sank her teeth into his arm and kicked his shin.

"Blasted beast!"

"Nya!" She mouthed as she ran for the door, not turning fully forward until she had almost reached her destination. Her way, however, happened to be blocked at the moment.

"Eeya!" She collided face first with Taro's chest and staggered back clutching her nose, glaring daggers.

"What the hell?! What are you doing here?"

"I came to rescue you."

"RESCUE me? Pfft."

"You could be a bit more grateful."

"Grateful? You put me here in the first place, then you nearly break my nose and you think I should be grateful?" The blue-black of the bruise she had received the day before stood out in silent testimony upon her fair skin.

"Sorry bout that. But I'm here to rescue you now. Let's go."

"I can't leave when there are so many suffering here!"

"Not as many. I released all the women in that big room."

"You did?" She sounded shocked but a small thrill of affection ran through her. "But what about the others?"

"I couldn't see any of the controls for the aviaries and I don't want those monsters let out of the reinforced cells."

He was gratified to see her small shudder of horror at the memory of those brutes.

"But you let the breeders..."

"BASTARD!" The guard's fist connected soundly with Taro's jaw, snapping his head back with astounding force. He vaguely heard the door being replaced through the ringing in his ears. His vision was sparkling as he stumbled farther into the room. The soft *shkt* of a blade being drawn echoed in his ears and cleared his head immediately, prompting him to life-saving action. He ducked, just in time for the blade embedded itself in the wall beside him, just millimeters from his ear.

"You let them go?" The guard hissed, inches from his face. "You let. Them go!" The sword was yanked from the cement and cleaved through the air, only to be met by Taro's quickly drawn blade, accompanied by the loud clang of metal striking metal. The guard swung, and again was blocked. A beautiful but deadly dance, the blades flashed and rang in the small room, sending sparks flying with their pairings.

A low growl accompanied the fight, rising and falling with each encounter. Yuki shifted her weight uneasily, fighting the urge to help Taro in his struggle. I don't owe him anything. I don't. I don't. Oh bugger that. Yes you do.

Furtive movement behind her drew her attention but not in time to prevent the doctor from sinking the hypodermic needle into the muscle of her upper arm. The fluid burned in her veins and dropped her like a stone. A single cry was ripped from her lips as the drug did its work. The glow that filled the room out-shone the surgical lights and, upon receding, left something rather interesting to behold in its wake.

Where Yuki'd once crouched was a young shinoarii female, her tawny gold skin shining in the light.

"It worked! I'm a genius!" The doctor danced around madly, congratulating himself on the success of his serum until Yuki's strong, serpentine tail hammered into his knees, snapping the joints with a wet crunch. His screech of pain did not entirely drown out Taro's grunt of discomfort. Her head shot up, pointed snout aimed unerringly. Blood plastered Taro's shirt to his body; the long rip in the fabric clearly showing the diagonal slice that marred his strong chest. The classic metallic tang filled the air and the guards inhaled deeply as if enjoying the bouquet of a fine wine. A drop of the deep red liquid fell to the floor in seeming slow motion. It splashed on the smooth surface and something in Yuki's mind snapped like an over-stressed beam.

She snarled, saliva dripping off her pointed canines, then skreed as loud as she could, freezing their attackers in their tracks with the sense-assaulting noise. She launched herself into the air, claws scratching the marble floor and sending up small slivers of stone. The other guard had just started to turn, only had enough time for surprise, then fear to register in his eyes, when Yuki landed on his back, smashing him into a wall. His head impacted. He saw a flash of light. And then nothing.

"How could you release the breeders? We were going to take over! We! The altered Shinoar! We're superior to each species!" The irate man lashed out, hooking a foot behind Taro's knees and dragged him to the floor.

"You were one to watch, you know. You had seemed to be everything we were striving for. But you're not. You're flawed somehow. And we have no use for weak material." The guard brought his knife back, readying the killing blow, but never had the chance to use it. Taro had brought his knees up and kicked the other man, hard, in the groin. He scrambled to his feet and, not bothering to avoid the man's crazed charge, ran him through, the blade catching for a moment on a rib before puncturing the black heart. The cuts from the guard's sword stung; his blood running freely from chest and now arm. He shoved the body away, freeing his knife and himself. A light trill near his left caused him to jump back, sword raised to protect himself. Yuki chuckled softly and paced after him as he unconsciously backed away.

"Oh, stop running for pete's sake. It's not like I'm going to eat you." She cocked her head and peered at him once he stopped. She head-butted him gently, the touch almost a caress.

"You okay?" Her voice was soft and full of concern.

"I'll be fine." He looked down at her and, though he fought valiantly, could not resist. "You're just a baby! I'm surprised you're not in diapers! How old are you, really?"

Yuki shrieked indignantly and poked him with a wingtip hard enough to leave a tiny bruise.

"Hey! That hurt!" He rubbed the sore spot with his good hand and mock glowered at her.

"If you shifted you'd be as tiny as I. We don't really start growing until we reach the age of 19."

Any retort was superseded by the blaring klaxon of an alarm.

"And that would be our signal to leave, I should think. Can you get the door?" Taro obliged, re-wrenching the door off its hinges, and they rushed into the hallway.

"That way!" Taro pointed to their right. Yuki bobbed her head and ran, her curved talons scrabbling for purchase.

"This place is huge!" she rasped a few minutes later.

"You have no idea," he grimly agreed. "But we're almost there."

And indeed they were. They burst into the front room via a side door that Taro had noted on his way in, saw the Director and maybe a dozen hunters waiting for them, and backtracked full tilt.

"My turn to lead!" Yuki bellowed over her shoulder.

"No arguments here!" The alarms continued to sound, masking any noise their pursuers might have made.

"Fresh air! This way!" She fumbled with the knob, her claws preventing her from gaining purchase. "Well shoot! Stoopid blasted bugger'd all thing!"

"Let me." He ran his fingers over the number pad for the lock, searching again for worn spots that would help lead them to safety.

"Uhm… Taro-kun? We have some visitors." The Director, and company, was pounding up the hallway. She ducked her head back into the room and rattled her wings irritably. "Hurry up!"

"I'm going as fast as I can." He sniffed at the plate, determining by scent in which sequence to push the buttons.

"Too late," she moaned and Taro half-turned very slowly, his fingers punching in the code and unlocking the door. It swung open, revealing a scene from a faerie tale. The forest was mere inches from the building, a welcoming sanctuary of deep greens and damp smells that might as well been miles away.

"How disappointing, Kashiwa. I would have thought you smarter than this. You threw away a glorious future, all for one scrawny Shinoar child. It's rather depressing, as is your fate."

"Does he always talk so dramatically?" Yuki whispered.

"Yup."

"Oh brother…"

"Choose your destiny, boy. Death of the body, or death of the mind?"

Some choices, he thought bitterly Either be killed or driven insane like those I saw before. No thankyou to thatchoice. I've already had enough of a taste of what their drugs can do. The Director flicked his hand, motioning the hunters to take them.

I don't think so! Yuki arched her back, mantling her wings threateningly as she stalked to stand in front of her rescuer. Her neck curved sinuously, ready to dart forward and sink her teeth into flesh and bone, and she graced them a grisly smile.

"I wouldn't be in such a hurry to trust your pets. The one we dispatched spent his last moments rambling about taking over because they were the superior species. Mayhaps you should cull your ranks, instead of thinning ours." She chuckled nastily as the Director peered at his creations, then pushed a button on a small device that summoned human guards.

"I take your words to heart, young wyrm. Your species is not known for its ability to lie. Your freedom and life are yours, for now. Go."

Yuki dipped her wings in acknowledgment, then ushered Taro out of the door. "Come on. Who knows how long he'll grant us."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ow!" Her nose hurt.

"Well that's what you get for not looking where you're going."

"Damn wild trees leaping in front of me." She sunk her claws into the bark experimentally, then shimmied up a short way to a relatively low limb.

"Always have to watch out for feral vegetation. …Yuki?"

"Mm?" she hummed in query.

"Why did you try to protect me back there?" His voice was earnest but filled with confusion.

"Uh… well…" She fidgeted for a moment, then sighed gustily. "You were the first person I'd ever called friend. My parents, though I loved them dearly, were parents and Onee-chan is more like a sister than a friend." She lay on her stomach, long legs dangling on either side of the branch, and rested her narrow muzzle on her forearm. "The Shinoar are wary of each other. There are spies after all, spies and traitors. And some of them have been particularly wary of me because I escaped my parent's fate, because I know you and once they find out about this… I hate being alone. So why did I help you? It had been nice to know that there had been someone, even for a short time, who cared." A single tear fell unseen in the darkness. Taro remained silent, confused by the harsh treatment of one so young. He stumbled slightly as he walked to the base of the tree, exhaustion taking its overdue toll.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kirei!" The sky blazoned with a rainbow of hues, the sun's canvas for a time.

"Mm?"

"I said `pretty!' Did you sleep well?"

"Mm."

Yuki glared at him from her perch. "Wake up, will you?"

"Sorry. Why haven't you changed back yet?"

"Ugh. Believe me, I've tried. But I don't know how long this damned drug will stay in my system." She gnawed on the branch, her teeth slicing cleanly through the wood. Taro closed his eyes and leaned back against the trunk, fighting off another wave of dizziness.

"Hey! You okay?" He heard her but couldn't answer for his body seemed to have decided to melt away at the moment. "You're not okay! Gods you're still bleeding a little!"

"I'll be fine." He ground out finally and stood up, forcing his limbs to obey him through sheer strength of will. "Where do we go from here?"

"Somewhere you can get to a doctor."

"No," he cut in quickly. "You could get caught again."

"Fine. Let's head towards home then. Think you can make it?"

"Yeah."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"We're stopping." This statement brooked no argument from Taro who sank gratefully to the ground, his body cradled by the leaf litter in a warm embrace. Yuki's claws brushed gently down his arm and plucked at his blood-soaked shirt.

"I'll be back soon. Don't die while I'm gone, `kay?"

"Do my best," he laughed dryly.

Gods… There's not much I can do while I still look like this. "Here. Get in the tree. It's safer." She prodded him persistently until he'd gotten to a satisfactory height. He slumped in the protective boughs and waved her away.

I've got to do something. Dusk was falling again, bathing the world in a surreal aura and masking her low flight. Wingtips brushed the tops of the trees as she searched for anything useful, her sharp eyes roving over the outskirts of the town.

A white shape flapped in the moonlight and she dove, wings tucked tight to her side.

"Gotcha."

The sheet danced in the wind of her flight, trying to fling itself from her claws. She hastened back, her broad wings cutting through the air with quiet beats. She reveled in her freedom, spiraling up through a vast thermal and then banking into a shallow dive. The air whistled past her until, backwinging madly, she landed in a small clearing. She streaked towards their hiding spot, long legs stretching to go farther faster. A single leap brought her high into the tree. She dug her claws into the hard wood, balancing precariously while she reached for the next limb.

There was a feeling like a snapping cord and a bright glow surrounded her once again. She felt her feet lose their grip and she was falling, the white of her prize trailing behind like the broken wings of an angel.

It was beginning to get light when Yuki opened her eyes. Her vision swirled dangerously for a while, then focused on a figure draped high above.

"Ow..." Head throbbing with every heartbeat, she slowly worked her way up to her savior and placed a hand on his arm. His skin was damp and very warm where she touched him. She frowned, biting her lip, and shook the young man as hard as she could without dislodging him.

"Wake up, Taro-san! Wake up! Please! Please." The shaking came less strongly as her tears began to flow. "Please wake up. I'm scared."

She stopped, her head pillowed on his shoulder and she cried. "Oh gods, I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely.

"Nngh…" Taro sat up and upset her tenuous hold on the branch. He was beside her when she woke up again a few minutes later, his fevered eyes full of worry.

"You `kay?" She didn't say anything, but got up instead, pointedly refusing to acknowledge the double pounding in her head, and snatched up her stolen good. She staggered back to where Taro crouched and began tugging his shirt off. He grunted in pain and waved her away.

"I c'n do it m'self."

"Fine." Her temper flared, increasing the tempo of her pain. She flounced a few inches away, then began tearing strips off the sheet. The torn and bloodied shirt landed beside her, steaming in the early morning chill. There was not a single patch of it that could still claim to be even vaguely white. Yuki looked over at the young man as he sat huddled, one hand pressing against the long wound.

"Here, let me bandage that." She moved his arm out of the way and began to bind his various injuries. He gave soft hisses of pain but didn't move through the ministrations. She finished quickly, tying the ends together and tucking in the excess with a maternal pat.

"There. Done. And now I have my revenge for your treatment of my wrist."

Taro smiled but his `thankyou' went unfinished as his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped over and onto the forest floor.

"Eep!" A quick check revealed a strong, steady heartbeat and she relaxed. The remains of her spoils was draped over Taro's sleeping form and tucked around him. She shifted and curled next to his back, one wing hovering over him protectively.

"Hey. You awake?" The reptilian face hovered inches from his own and he jerked back, startled.

"Sorry! Do you want breakfast?" Yuki extended her hands, talons delicately cradling a pastry. Taro accepted the offering gratefully and ate the majority of the sweet in one bite. He also gratefully seized upon the bottle of water that leaned against his thigh. Yuki flapped over his head and settled on a branch. He closed his eyes against the glare of her shift and, upon opening them again, found his face covered by a considerable amount of hair.

"What the…" He brought up a hand and redirected the auburn mass.

"I'm glad you're up. You had me really worried there." She swayed gently back and forth, enjoying the feel on the bark against the backs of her knees. She crossed her arms and fixed him with an upside down `look'.

It was too much. Taro burst out laughing, then doubled over upon seeing her nonplused expression.

"What's so funny?"

"You! You look like a five year-old with your hair blowing around like that! I can see the way you must have looked whenever you went to the playground."

"Mrrrggggg…" Her eyes flashed indignantly at his continued mirth and she dropped to ground.

"Can we leave now?" She knew she sounded petulant but didn't care. "You're clearly well enough to travel now."

"Su-" He yawned mightily, interrupting his answer.

"You just slept for two days! How can you be tired?"

"I didn't sleep at all for the week it took me to get back to Ocean View."

"And me."

"Yes. And you." They were both silent, sobered.

"Um… We should get going."

"Yeah. But where? The Institute is going to be looking for us."

"Then let's go where they'd least expect. My apartment is, logically, the last place we should go, except the Institute itself. That means they shouldn't be watching it carefully."

"But won't they think of that?"

Yuki graced him with a patronizing smile.

"What is their opinion on Shinoar I.Q.?

"They consider the Shinoar to be extremely stupid."

"Which means we wouldn't go back home. So let's."

Taro gave in to the logic, as he himself knew that that was exactly how the Institute would act. There would be, at most, a single person guarding the building when they arrived.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I love trains, don't you?"

"Trains, yes. The tops of trains? No, I don't particularly." Her jaws were clenched so tight her teeth hurt. "I would have rather walked."

"It'll be okay." He patted her head consolingly. "I've only fallen off two or three times."

"You're not helping," she snarled at him.

"Sorry," he said, but couldn't help chuckling.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So all they had was one guy watching the entire building?"

"Yup. Just as I thought." He shrugged his trench coat off, draped it over the chair, then plopped down himself.

"He should be easy to get around. Let's go. I want to sleep in my house, in my room, in my bed tonight." She carefully picked one last bit of leaf out of her long hair.

A few minutes later there were outside her apartment building. They sat and ate a quick lunch at a little outdoor café, keeping their eyes open.

"Well? Where is he?" Taro craned his neck around, searching for the man he'd picked out earlier as the Institute employee.

"I don't… wait, there he is. Two blocks down at a food cart.

"Incompetent fool. We might as well take advantage of his stupidity."

" I do agree."

They paid their bill then simply strolled across the street and into the building, laughing as they went. The lookout never noticed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Make yourself comfortable. I need to phone some people."

Taro sat down on the couch and placed his feet on the small coffee table.

"Who are you calling?"

"Some shinoarii who ought to know where my uncle is. Don't worry, I'm not using the phone that came with the room."

His feet thumped onto the floor and he stood up, towering over her.

"That's not what I'm worried about! There are spies out there, you know!"

"These people aren't, nor is my uncle."

"You don't know that for sure!" He could barely believe that she, she of all people, could be that naïve.

"He's my uncle! And I've known the others for years!"

"Fine. Do what you want then." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. "But I'm going too." He gave a decisive nod and she rolled her eyes but capitulated. A few minutes later she thumbed the off switch and set down the phone.

"We'll be meeting him two days from now at the big construction site outside of town at 6:30 PM."

"Nnh," he grunted. Finally I'll be able to repay some of my debt to her. Yuki stared off into the distance, her green eyes unfocused. She sighed and he was captivated by the gentle rise and fall of her breasts. Back off, Taro. She's only 16. He dragged his eyes away and flopped down on the couch. You owe her, so stop with those thoughts already. Yuki continued to stare, oblivious to the world around her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The building loomed over them, in every sense of the word, forbidding in the slowly fading light. Its empty windows glowered balefully at them, the surrounding fence a toothy snarl.

"Great place." Taro's voice dripped sarcasm.

"Yeah. I think I'll build a summer home just like it." Geez, why'd they pick such a dreary place?

*Snkt* The lock lights turned green. "You have some interesting skills, Taro-san." He quirked an eyebrow at her and grinned.

"The Institute taught us everything we might need to use."

"Never thought I'd be grateful for the Institute."

"Yup." He hummed merrily as he opened the door and executed a sweeping bow, gesturing her forward. His eyes sparkled mischievously in the remaining light. Yuki met him with a matching smile as she sank gracefully to the floor in a regal curtsey.

"Don't mind if I do." She rose and sauntered through the door.

"We should probably take the stairs, rather than the elevator."

"Gee!" she exclaimed with a feigned air of extreme innocence. "I would never have thought to do that."

The sun had just begun to sink below the hills when they reached the roof. Taro strode out of the stairwell, every sense alert for danger as he surveyed the expanse of concrete and metal beams. Yuki stayed in the doorway, holding her side and gasping for air. Damn your fitness!

"No one else is here, as far as I can tell." Taro looked and sounded decidedly nervous.

"They will be soon, don't worry so!" She cocked her head at him and smiled.

So innocent, he thought sadly. It's going to be hard on-

Yuki's squeal of joy interrupted his train of thought and startled him so much he nearly fell over.

"Uncle Sh'sh'no! You're really here! Oh I've missed you so much!" She ran, her long hair streaming behind her, right into her uncle's open arms. Taro followed cautiously, not liking the smell that was now permeating the air. He squinted at the overweight man in front of him and received an answering glare over Yuki's bowed head. I don't like this.

Yuki basked in her uncle's embrace for several long moments, blissfully unaware of the world around her. After those few seconds she tried to pull away a little, becoming uncomfortable. Sh'sh'no didn't loosen his arm and she moved more forcibly. Her new attempts brought an immediate reaction. The arms that had been holding her tenderly mere moments ago now crushed into her like the jaws of a steel trap. She let out a strangled grunt as all the air was forced from her lungs.

"Sh'sh'no?" she gasped breathlessly, confusion coloring what was left of her voice.

"You're mine now. Mine. And no one else can have you. I won't let them. You belong to me." He started backing up, rambling. "They wanted you both but They listened to me. I begged Them to let me have you and just the brat and They listened and agreed. I promised Them the offspring. That's all They really wanted anyway. And now you're mine. All mine."

Yuki stared at him, her brain trying to deny everything going on around her. He's a spy. A traitor. Oh. Gods.

Upon seeing the heavy-set man take a step away, still clutching the unusually still Yuki, Taro went on the offensive. He'd taken but a single step when the other roof access doors burst open, spilling a small horde of men in Institute uniforms into the dying light. He grit his teeth and unsheathed his short sword, the blade glittering dangerously as he awaited his attackers.

They came in an uncoordinated mass, each managing to get in another's way. Taro dropped to one knee, his blade whistling through the air, and the nearest man staggered back, grasping futilely at his neatly severed trachea. The man's blood oozed lazily down the razor sharp edge of the sword and fell to mingle with the splash of drops from the sliced arteries. The dead man fell with a last spray of crimson and world lay silent, in awe. Taro did not pause, but was on the next man instantly, sword sweeping down in a relentless arc.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The sight of internal organs bulging past splayed fingers shocked Yuki to her core but provided a much needed impetus. She shifted faster than any of her species ever had and used the extra space to tuck up her legs. She planted her strong, clawed feet into her uncle's ample middle and shoved, talons sinking into fat and flesh. Sh'sh'no bellowed in pain and loosed his niece. She dropped into a crouch and hissed, long narrow fangs bared. She had to duck her head away then from the light of his shift, eyes burning.

I'm in such trouble, she observed dryly. And then there was time only for evading the slashing claws and snapping jaws of her beloved uncle.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Only two of the original dozen or so hunters were still alive and these were little more than boys. Taro flipped his tantou casually from hand to hand and they blanched, Adam's apples jumping nervously. The boys rushed forward in tandem, eyes clenched shut and yelling like bansidhes. Taro whirled out of the way and brought the hilt of his sword down on one young lad's head. The boy groaned and collapsed bonelessly to the ground. Taro slowly turned and faced his last opponent.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The impact with the ground left her dazed. Plummeting uncontrollably from the roof of a ten-story building and then having a high-speed collision with the land generally had that effect. She groaned, sore from the tail slap that had flung her over the guardrails and to her current location. She'd just started to fold in her wrenched wings when she felt her uncle land. Before she could even think of moving, one huge clawed hand shot out and pinned her mercilessly to the ground.

"Why?" Her eyes were filled with pain, both physical and emotional. "Why?"

She received no verbal answer. The mad glint in Sh'sh'no's eyes as he applied more pressure to her narrow chest and the hand he raised to strike her with were answer enough.

She reacted instinctively; her curved talons finding their target with deadly accuracy. Her claws sank in the thin skin of Sh'sh'no's neck, easily slicing through the jugular and aorta. He let go of her with a blood-curdling scream and backed away. His eyes registered shocked dismay before clouding over as death rushed to claim him. He fell, the force of his great bulk hitting the ground causing the windows to rattle in their frames, and gurgled for a few seconds. He pulled in one last breath, the death rattle clearly evident, then was silent.

Yuki stumbled as she rose, the red orange blood that marked the Shinoar coating her entirely. She crawled, slowly, painfully, to her uncle's body and collapsed beside it. Her wailing rose unconsoled into the sky as she rocked herself next to the corpse. The sun dipped behind the mountains, sending up a last spray of glory and bathing the battle scene in red and gold hues.

Taro stood, silent, immobile, above the mourning shinoarii, his last opponent sleeping soundly beyond him. He paused a few more moments, head down, thoughts inscrutable, outlined by the glorious last gasp of the dying sunset. He paused a few more moments, then walked from the edge, the situation, and Yuki. He could still hear her wailing in the distance.