Ch.2: Gods and Goddesses: Earth

Chapter Two1

Nuraka And Nariko2

Xeseyta scrambled away from them before the witiko sank it's teeth into her neck, squealing when she slipped down a slope. She moaned in pain, her voice shaking as she gritted her teeth. Xeseyta looked back, seeing the witikos crashing in on her. She forced herself up, ignoring the pain ebbing in her stumbling legs.3

Her legs collapsed on her finally, refusing to move anymore through force, trembling by the loss of blood. She fell on her back, screaming slightly through every pant she made. Xeseyta closed her eyes shut when she felt claws digging into her arms, scratching and jerking her. She pictured the pain of being torn to pieces, her blood pouring out and splashing on the ground.4

Her eyes opened at the sharp pain in her neck, choking for air, dangling in the mouth of a witiko.5

The snarling stopped, everyone turned away from her, making an alarmed sound. One suddenly screeched, writhing in the mouth of a feline. It dropped onto the ground making one last jerk, staying still after a death-rattle...6

"You disgusting bloodthirsty Monster." The voice of a male feline said, Black stripes coated his crimson fur, ruby blood dripping off of his sabertooth teeth, a long fluffy tail making him look more friendly than he was.7

They all screamed, sensing the presence that stood concealed. "Time for final swing!" Black and grey flashed pass Xeseyta, her eyes caught onto a glimmer off a sword that swung pass her.8

The sounds of the witikos screeching grew subtle, the sounds of heads hit the floor while others ran. "Useless disgusting things." He put his sword back in it's sheath. "What were they making such a big racket over?" He was around the age of what a Human would call a Teenager, Black hair that went a longer in the back, reaching the bottom of his spine, cat shaped crimson eyes, and a slate Gray wide turtleneck with thick sleeved shirt and pants, Black boots and gloves and a long Black vest that didn't open and was cut in the middle at the bottom and a bit in back. A red colored bow in the back wrapped around his waist, strings touching the back of his boots, and a tiny skull decoration in the middle of the bow.9

"One swing and they're all dead...." The boy shook his head in disappointment. "What a-" he cut off, looking at the remaining witiko holding Xeseyta in it's mouth. "...Oy."10

Xeseyta kept her eyes opened weakly, looking at the strange boy and his feline companion.11

"...This must be the leader of them, Nuraka." The feline said deeply, keeping his eyes on last standing witiko.12

"...I think I know that by now, Nariko." Nuraka growled subtly, looking at Xeseyta. So it's her blood I've been smelling... He winced at the churning in his stomach. Looks like she's close to her demise... Nuraka growled in his throat, sheathing his sword. The witiko bit down harder on Xeseyta's neck, making her scream cut-short, her eyes closing.13

Nuraka turned to the flinch Nariko made. "...Do you know her?" He asked out of curiosity, wondering what Nariko's fear for her was.14

"...No..." Nariko said in embarrassment, his ears lowering to his skull.15

"Then I guess I can leave her for witiko-meat eh?" Nuraka teased with a smile, about to return his sword to it's scabbard.16

"What!? No!" Nariko objected. "Why did you come at all, if not for her!?"17

"...W-well... uh..." Nuraka scratched the back of his head, his face twisting up in a single thought. "....Nope...ssssss.....?" He said slowly, glancing at both Xeseyta and Nariko.18

The feline said nothing, turning away from Nuraka in a growl.19

Nuraka sighed, jumping behind the witiko before it's eyes caught onto him. Nariko winced at the sound of it's head hitting the floor, a small smirk formed at the corner of his lips.20

The witiko's body fell down beside Xeseyta, who remained unconscious.21

Nuraka knelt down to look at her, looking at the clothing she wore.22

A copper coloured breastplate covered her big chest, gold rimming the ends. She wore a white silk shirt under her breastplate, the ends of her sleeves were decorated with silver thread and sewn in leaf decorations, giving her a beautiful autumn look. A golden yellow bow rested around her hips, parting in four ways around it, the strings ending at her beaded ankles of her arched feet.23

Nuraka shook his head, standing up when he noticed the smile on Nariko's face. "Let's go!"24

"What? why?" Nariko protested.25

"No questioning me Nariko. I said let's go, and leave her." He firmly said. 26

Nariko sighed. "...Fine... Thought it was the girl's scream that made you kill these witikos...." Nariko mumbled.27

"No!" Nuraka laughed. "They were making too much racket!" He walked away from Xeseyta. Nariko followed him, walking ahead.28

The scent of her blood when it reached him made him halt, feeling another churn in his stomach. He looked back at her, biting his lip. Nuraka sighed, walking back to her. "Are you dead?" He asked her, prodding her with his foot. He shook his head again, telling himself to walk away, but he only turned and walked back to her.29

Nuraka put his arm under her legs and the other behind her back, picking her up.30

He couldn't understand why he was helping the strange girl, why his body was reacting to the scent of her blood.31

He laid her down on the autumn leaves that skidded on the dragon cave, sitting down beside her with a sigh at the blood on his hands.32

"Nuraka?"33

Nuraka turned at the voice of Nariko quickly.34

"Don't do that to me again!" He hissed. "I thought I lost you! I walk ahead of you, and turn back, and you're gone!" Nariko hissed again, he then realized the girl from before, placed down on the leaves. "...O-oh..."35

Nuraka's cheeks turned light cerise. "No! it's not what it looks like so shut up!" he shouted.36

"Okay, okay, master!" Nariko quickly mewed. "No need to get upset..." He said in a frown. "Aren't you gonna tend to her?" He asked his master.37

"And what!?" Nuraka screeched. "Take her clothes off!?" he looked at Nariko. "No way!" his voice echoed in the cave as he walked deeper into it.38

Nariko's paws shifted on the floor as he edged closer to her, he couldn't smell her natural scent as the blood coated on her was covering it, making his nose wrinkle. He tilted his head, staring at her peaceful face.39

Nuraka treaded back, stopping when he saw Nariko lying on the stomach of the girl.40

Nuraka sighed, shaking his head. He sat down, his back against the cave wall. Nuraka closed his eyes, hearing faint voices from a far distance.41

"What do you mean?" A dark voice growled in the tall forest that cast shadows everywhere, making it dark.42

"Brother you have 't come back!" The figure beside the tree rasped, holding a hand, coated with blood, to his chest. "We're losing control of everything Wysaku...!"43

Nuraka turned around, gasping when he faced the one spoken to.44

"...I-..." He looked hurtfully down, away from his brother. "...I can't Keir'aku..."45

Keir'aku winced at his words, falling down, his brother caught him before he hit the ground, sitting him down against a tree.46

"Brother!" Wysaku shouted. "Brother!?"47

Keir'aku said nothing, panting heavily as the blood from his wound on his chest stained his clothes.48

"Keiry, say something!" Wysaku sharply said, shaking him.49

"...The weaker Hell becomes..." He whispered breathlessly. "The weaker every, one of us..... become...." Keir'aku coughed, falling forward on his back.50

"No!" Wysaku shouted, shaking him again. "Brother!!!"51

Keir'aku's eyes closed as his body grew more slim. Wysaku bit his lips, clenching his fists. "Stay alive!" Wysaku shouted, standing up. "Don't you dare die on me!" He turned, jumping off into the air. He disappeared into nothing, entering a darker place that made Nuraka squint his eyes in an attempt to catch a sharper image.52

"Wysaku?" A light, soft voice said to him, making Nuraka turn around to it. He couldn't see her face as the trees around the broken down fences cast shadows on her and Wysaku, making only their shape visible. "What are you doing here? I thought-...." She trailed off, her brow pointing down in curiosity.53

Nuraka looked over at Wysaku, wondering what she was pausing about.54

"...Wysaku...?" She said in a light, curious voice "Wysaki, where did that blood come from? Are you hurt?"55

"...No..." He answered darkly, not meeting her eyes.56

"Wysaku, you seem-" Her words broke off into a scream when he grabbed her wrists, pinning her down onto the ground. "W-W...Wysaku!?"57

"I'm sorry Xylestrial." He whispered, his fingers skimming down her arm. "I can't choose between you and my brothers, but I know I can't let them die."58

"W-what!?" She said breathlessly. "What're you talking about!? Wysaku, get off of me!"59

"Can't do that...." He held her arms down, ripping her shirt off with his teeth.60

"Wysaku!!" Xylestrial screamed, "Stop it!! Get off of me now!!" She cried, finding her resistance helpless. "Wysaku please!!! Stop it, please! They're going to come!!"61

"So let him... Why should I care?" He asked in a low voice. "He can go ahead and see this..."62

"No!!" Xylestrial screamed. "Wysaku if they find you, we are going to have to seal you! Please Wysaku! I don't want you to go, please stop!!" She shut her eyes closed as wires wrapped around her wrists, keeping them to the ground.63

Nuraka woke with a gasp, tearing himself away from the dream, hearing the screaming fade... but the images wouldn't, the squirming and kicking refused to leave.64

"Master?" He lightened at the sound of Nariko's voice. "You alright?"65

Nuraka held a hand to his throbbing head, replying with a nod.66

"...You were tossing and turning in your sleep..." Nariko mumbled. "Coming from you, it's not something seen everyday."67

Nuraka ignored him, standing up. He got only a few glimpses of the beings in his dream, and came to understand that she was a goddess, which only led him to more questions.68

"It's been three days and the girl still hasn't woken. Say where's Seffruin?" Nariko asked his master.69

"I don't know and I don't care." Nuraka answered quietly. "...If it were me with injuries like this I'd have waken by now." Nuraka said, looking at the girl that lay beside the cold leaves. He knelt down, looking at the wound on her neck when her eyes suddenly opened.70

He grabbed her wrists before she screamed, attempting to hit him. He trapped her arms down on the cave floor. "Stop it!" Nuraka shouted. "You'll open up your wounds again!"71

She stopped struggling, looking up at him with a memory of fear in her eyes as her breathing became uneven.72

Nuraka looked down at her undone silk shirt, rolling off of her when he guesses what was on her mind. "...You're not going 'till you've healed." He mumbled dully. "Here," he held something that looked like bark, out to her. "Eat it."73

Xeseyta squinted her eyes, casting a glare at him. "I am not going to eat that..." she rasped. too injured to speak higher.74

The boy sighed. "It's not poison or anything. If I wanted to kill you I'd of not helped you. It's called uerokee. Being a Siberian I'm sure you know what it is... it's bitter, and it'll help you heal quicker..."75

He put it up to her mouth and she grabbed it with her teeth through a change of mind, trying to chew it but only making a small whimper of pain as it fell beside her.76

Nuraka took it back up, taking a bite off of it. He chewed it to small pieces, leaning over her and transferring it from his mouth to hers.77

Her eyes opened in surprise, wanting to punch him, but too weak to accomplish that. She swallowed through force, panting afterwards.78

Nuraka ignored her rude stare, taking another bite off the cerise uerokee and leaning over her again, noticing the sweet, calming scent she now had.79