Forever Caged [Complete]

‭Chapter 21: Break


‭Reyvn was rummaging through the closet, trying to find another set of clean clothes and something to stuff them in. Who knew how long it would take to get home? Sure the carriage ride was fast enough, but even that took several hours. He imagined it would take a lot longer to walk back. He pulled out a few clothes for himself and Arna, folded them and stuffed them into a messenger bag, then set it on the bed. Ravis had been nice enough to give them dinner, so they were all set now. He slid the wrapped sandwiches into the bag as well, then headed out to the living room.

‭Arna was getting some bandages from Ravis, along with some pain killing salve and some pills for later. He looked at Reyvn and asked if he was ready. Soon, they were outside in the cool breeze. This night had been just as clear as the last. "Look at that," Arna said. "Tonight will be just as clear and pretty as the last. Have you ever been camping?"

‭Reyvn was looking at the sun, which was slowly descending to meet with the horizon. He was more worried about when it would be out of sight. He guessed they had about two hours. "No, I haven't. " He got the feeling he wouldn't get the chance to go camping tonight. He knew what it was well enough; there were books about it. "Let's go before the sun is gone. I don't want to be caught here at night." He didn't know his way around the small town, but Arna did, so he would let him lead.

‭Arna led him out of the town and into the woods. They were well and deep in them by nightfall, and the moonlight made the trees cast eerie shadows. Suddenly, Arna doubted his own words. Every little sound made him freeze.

‭Reyvn readjusted the small messenger bag on his shoulder, eyes wide as he looked around. He'd never traveled through woods on foot before, and his heart was trying to jump into his throat at every little noise. He stayed close to Arna, not wanting to get lost. "Hey," he whispered, "do you know if Ravis contacted Lesara?"

‭Arna shook his head. "I dunno if he's done it yet, but I asked him to when he got the chance." He held Reyvn to him defensively as a series of branches breaking caught his attention. He stood still for a moment, focusing on the source of the noise, then relaxed when it turned out to be just some forest creature.

‭Reyvn clung to Arna, his eyes on the same spot. His body sagged a little when a small, furry black animal darted away. "Let's move faster. I don't want to have to stop here." He held Arna's hand, and waited to be led further. He wanted desperately to just bolt ahead, but he didn't know his way and it wouldn't do to get lost now.

‭---

‭Rendell's head perked up as he heard the rustling of the wind through the trees. He looked towards Koumori and grinned. "The sun is down. Shall the hunt begin?"

‭Koumori tightened the string holding his hair back and rolled up his long sleeves securely. Couldn't have them catching on branches or something silly like that. A slow grin spread across his face. "This will be fun." He looked ahead at the treeline separating the manor from the town, then shut his eyes and held his hands level to his waist in front of him. He tapped the blood link, and a glyph formed under his hands. It emitted a faint white glow, then swirled into the ground. A small symbol appeared on the underside of his wrist, but he didn't lower his arms.

‭The energy rushed under and through the ground, tracing Reyvn's steps. It was lost at first, which told Koumori that the boy had flown away, but once it reached the town, it picked up a trail, and sped into the second treeline. Koumori let his hands fall to his sides, grinning. "They're halfway through the woods. They must have only started several hours ago." He turned his wrist to show Rendell the glowing white symbol. "This will tell us how close we are."

‭Rendell looked at Koumori's wrist. "That's interesting. You'll have to show me how to work that trick later. Anyway, point the direction they're at and hang on."

‭Koumori raised his arm with the symbol, and pointed it at the boys' general location. "Do be subtle. Wouldn't want to alert them so early, now." He waited for Rendell's eyes to follow where he was pointing, then gripped the demon's arm.

‭Rendell shook off Koumori's arm and wrapped his around the veran's waist. He hoisted the man up like a luggage bag, and said, "Damn you're heavy!" before fading into the shadows. They reappeared at the woods' edge a moment later. "Mmm, I can smell them."

‭Koumori made a soft growl, then muttered, "If I'm heavy then you're a pussy." He did not like being picked up. He slid away from Rendell. "I see you intend to make quite the game out of this." He turned to look into the dense mass of trees before them. "I'll let you play. Your shadows should lead you. If you have any trouble, just tap the link and think at me. I'll hear it. I'm going to travel ahead and see if I can't get in front of them."

‭Rendell nodded. He inhaled at the air deeply, trying to figure out how far away they are. "What are we going to do with them once we actually catch them? I don't want this to be like a dog chasing carriage wheels."

‭Koumori chuckled. "Well, I've been thinking about getting a new toy lately. If I like this Arna boy, I might keep him. Although that wouldn't do any good for my relations with Lesara." He frowned, thinking. The naga was a good colleague, and he didn't wish to sour their relationships. Besides if this all tumbled downhill in the end, and he didn't have Arna, he could simply lay all the blame on Rendell and save his own hide. Not many things were harder to deal with than a pissed-off naga. But that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun... "You say Reyvn seems to care for this other boy. I say we should play with their hearts."

‭Rendell grinned. "You're evil. I like you. Yes, they do seem to be close." He let his grin fade. "I would be careful with Arna though. Lesara doesn't take well to his servants being mistreated. As it stands, I'm going to have to work out a hell of a story to explain Reyvn's cuts. But you're wise in these matters. I'm sure you could figure something out."

‭Koumori let out a short cackle. "Oh I have something to heal all of Reyvn's cuts when you're done with him. Lesara will be none the wiser, as long as you don't get carried away and carve more spells into him. If Reyvn has a few nicks in the end, you can probably just say your statues got him before you could call them off." His eyes glinted, his grin growing wider. /Let's stick to mindspeak for now, hm? Don't need to talk and give ourselves away./ Koumori glanced to Rendell. His mouth hadn't moved at all. /This is what the link allows us to do./

‭Rendell was visibly startled and shook his head. /I don't like this at all. I can feel your voice in here. Alright, let's get started before they get too far./ With that, Rendell slipped into the shadows. 

‭Koumori slipped into the darkness with him, then separated and darted around and ahead. He intended to block the boys' escape if they managed to get away from Rendell.

‭---

‭Arna was pleased at the distance they covered so far. He looked back and noticed how pale Reyvn was. He knew the boy was naturally fair skinned, but he wasn't sure if it was the moonlight or if he really was sick. "You're looking tired. Need me to carry you?"

‭Reyvn's grip was tight on Arna's hand, and he kept looking about as he was led along. His orange-rimmed blue eyes glinted in the moonlight, peering through the darkness. He was glad he'd grown up in it now, because he could pick out every little detail of the woods. He looked back to Arna, and shook his head. "I can walk fine." Which made him really glad he'd also found a pair of shoes in the closet that fit him.

‭Arna kept moving along, then paused when he found a decently sized stick laying on the ground in front of him. "This would make a great walking stick!" He dusted the dirt off and tested its strength. "Alright, now we're better armed than we were before."

‭Reyvn frowned, watching Arna. They didn't have time to be gathering sticks, but he supposed a weapon would be good to have. His back twinged suddenly, and he made a small "Ah!" before putting a hand to the wounds carefully. He made a face, mind racing. "I...I think we should move faster. Something feels...wrong."

‭Arna tensed. "Are you gonna be alright? What's wrong?" He studied Reyvn's face, trying to figure out what he meant.

‭"My back...It feels like...whatever Rendell did is being used." He frowned, then grabbed Arna's hand again and started to pull him forward. "We don't have time to stand around and talk."


‭Koumori landed neatly on a thick branch where he was certain he would be able to cut off the boys. He wasn't much of a tree person, but he was good at keeping his balance. He perched, body going stone-still as he waited. /I'm in place. It's your turn./

‭Rendell winced at the voice in his head. /Alright. Here I go./ He followed the smell, and grinned as he could feel the curse he placed on Reyvn. He faded in and out of the shadows, smelling here and there.

‭Arna tensed up. "Do you feel that?" He felt the darkness around him shift slightly, which was bad if even a huma like himself could sense it. He looked over his shoulder just as Rendell was stepping out of the shadows.

‭"Hello boys, did you miss me?" /Found them,/ Rendell told Koumori.

‭Arna gasped, grabbed Reyvn and ran for it. Rendell didn't let them get far before the shadows lunged at them and held them in the air. Arna fought for all he was worth, screaming and kicking.

‭"You two are very lucky I found you. Some horrible forest creature could have come along and eaten you," Rendell said, chuckling.

‭Reyvn's heart leapt into his throat as he turned and started to run with Arna, dropping his bag. "No!" he screamed, pulling at the shadows that wrapped around his limbs. He struggled, making the shadows move a little with him. "Let us go!" he shouted at Rendell. He growled, giving another sharp tug.

‭Rendell whipped Reyvn into the ground and pinned him there. "Oh be still dear boy. Shall I continue where we left off?" He pulled Arna closer to him. "I bet those wounds in your chest hurt. Let me divert your attention from them!" He set balls of fire in his hands and pressed them against Arna's shoulders. Arna screamed and writhed, trying his best to escape. "See this, boy? This is all your fault! If you had just taken your beating like a good boy, Arna wouldn't be crying!"

‭Reyvn gasped in pain as the air was knocked from his body. Pain shot through his back, and it took him a moment to register what Rendell was doing. Fire? Horror washed through him, and he forced his wings to appear and rapidly grow. He made the tips of one touch a shadow holding Arna up, and the wing ate it, letting Arna fall to the ground.
‭"Run," he said, voice wavering. "Run, Arna! Don't wait for me!" His wings began eating the shadows around his own body, and he started to roll to get up.

‭Arna hit the ground running, despite the pain in his shoulders. "Fuck fuck fuckety fuck!" he screamed. He felt this was all his fault, he thought if they had stayed low, this would have worked. Maybe it would have been better to fly. Arna shook his head. He didn't have time to think about maybe's. He had to think of a way to help Reyvn.

‭Meanwhile, Rendell shot more dark tentacles at Reyvn, some of them edged in fire. "Don't think you can keep eating the shadows, boy! The darkness will never run out!"

‭Reyvn's wings wrapped around his body, shielding him from the darkness and flame. He growled, and slowly pushed himself off the ground. He glared up at Rendell, eyes starting to fade to black. "I was born from darkness," he growled. The edges of his wings glowed brightly, slowly pulsating. It was like a light show running through them, and the tips of both suddenly aimed at Rendell and shot his own power back at him.

‭Rendell slipped into the shadows before he was hit. /Arna has run off and this boy is showing some intense power. Should I try that spell now?/

‭Reyvn's eyes widened, scanning the shadows for the demon bastard. His wings circled his body, acting as a shield.


‭Koumori's body tensed. He heard rustling from a distance in front of him, and assumed it was Arna. /No, there will be no need for that spell in a moment. Keep Reyvn busy until I get there./

‭He saw the slender redhead appear over the hill, and grinned. He waited until the boy was just several strides from reaching his branch, then leapt down in front of him. He landed neatly, his body sliding into an offensive stance, arms out to either side with claws displayed. "Hello. You must be Arna," he purred.

‭Arna skidded and ended up slipping. "Wh-who are you?" He then had a sudden thought. "You know me! That means you know Master! Hurry, I need your help, some crazy man is hurting my friend!"

‭Koumori smiled, baring a little hint of fang. He slid from his stance, deciding to play along. He feigned worry, then said, "Of course. Take me there and I'll do what I can."

‭"Thank you! Here, this way," he grabbed the veran's hand and ran back to Reyvn. He saw Reyvn in the air, using his wings as shields while Rendell whipped at him incessantly with his tendrils.

‭Koumori had to fight not to let out a laugh. He let Arna lead him, easily keeping pace. He paused, watching the scene. "Oh my...this doesn't look good." The shock in his voice was plain and real. He had seen an upset requiem before, but he had never seen Reyvn this way. He watched in awe for a handful of seconds, and for an instant wished he hadn't sold the boy away.

‭Reyvn turned his attention from Rendell briefly, feeling an all too familiar presence at his back. He looked behind him, his power faltering for just a split second. "Arna? What are you doing back here, I told you to-" his eyes found the veran then, and he felt his blood turn to ice. "Koumori?!"

‭Rendell took the opportunity to wrap a tentacle around the boy's arms, then brought him down to the ground hard. He held him there best as he could while trying to resist the urge to fling him around. /Well, now what? I kept him busy and you came back with the redhead./

‭Something struck Arna. "Koumori? I know that na-" his body went cold and rigid. Not the same Koumori Master spoke of, right? If so, he had damned Reyvn and probably himself to something more painful than Rendell alone could have managed. Arna let out a scream that could have been mistaken for a dying animal.

‭Koumori laughed, and grabbed Arna's arms tightly and wrenched them back in a way he knew would hurt. "Don't struggle now," he whispered into Arna's ear, "you might break something." Amber eyes glowed faintly as they looked up at Rendell. /Do with Reyvn as you wish. We can let this one watch./

‭Reyvn struggled, the black starting to fade from his eyes. He watched Koumori and Arna, his heart sinking into his gut. The man he hated most and thought he'd escaped from had returned, and now the veran had the one person he cared about in his hands. His wings trembled with his body, unsure of what to do. "Let him go," he pleaded Koumori.

‭Koumori watched Reyvn, a wry grin stretched across his face. "No, I don't think I will."

‭Tears bled from Arna's eyes as he spat curses at Rendell and Koumori. Rendell laughed, picked Reyvn up and sent him crashing into a tree. "You'd better be a good boy. Mister Koumori is quite the unpredictable man." He took a tentacle and jabbed it through Reyvn's right arm. "Then again, you would know best, wouldn't you?"

‭Reyvn cried out as his back exploded with fresh pain for the second time that night, and he had only a second to gasp for air before letting out another scream when his arm was stabbed. His whole body shook with rage and despair, and his wings flailed about. They touched the shadows around him, freeing him. He dropped to the ground and fell forward onto his hands and knees. He breathed heavily, trying to get steady again. He glared up at Rendell, blue eyes rimmed in orange. "What..." he coughed, and had to stop talking for a moment. He growled, looking up again. "What do...you want?"

‭Rendell picked Reyvn up with his shadows and brought him close. "See that boy over there? Make him cry, break his heart." He set a tentacle ablaze before whipping it over Reyvn's body, burning cloth, bandage, and finally flesh. His sharp cackling mixed with Arna's shrill cries.

‭"Please, stop!" Arna screamed. He struggled as much as he could, then finally braved a kick at Koumori.

‭Reyvn writhed and cried in Rendell's hold, great wings flapping as he still tried to pull away from the shadows. The violet edges glowed and pulsed angrily, and sparks ran from his back and into them. They acted as though they had a mind of their own, and again circled Reyvn's body as he was continuously lashed. Black sparks flowed between the tips, crackling like electricity as a ball started to form.

‭Koumori held Arna tightly, and winced when a foot connected sharply with his shin. He growled, and twisted his own body in such a way that when Arna's was forced to follow it, a loud 'pop!' sounded from the boy's shoulder. "I told you not to struggle. Now look what you've made me do."

‭Arna's eyes went wide and he screamed when his arm slid out of its socket. Rendell held Reyvn still, and turned to face Koumori. /Maybe you should beat him up some to show this one some manners?/ he suggested.

‭Koumori's laugh rolled through the trees. He turned Arna about to face him, then let him fall to the ground before dropping himself and pinning the boy in place. He leveled his eyes with Arna's, and said, "Did Reyvn ever tell you the things I used to do to him?"

‭Reyvn's screams echoed against the trees. He twisted and pulled, trying to free himself. He caught sight of Arna, stilling for a moment before the hot fire whipped across his back again. The pain was so overwhelming he was starting to feel numb. The energy still crackled as it coursed through his wings, and he tried to slow it. "Stop!" he sobbed out.

‭Arna didn't hear a thing Koumori said. The pain in his arm was blazing as it hung limp from his body, and all he could think about was how horrible he was for bringing this about.

‭Rendell was relishing the cries coming from both of them. He turned Reyvn to face Koumori and Arna, and said, "Are you pleased with your work?"

‭When he didn't get an answer, Koumori's eyes narrowed and he backhanded the boy underneath him. "Well, I suppose you'll find out soon enough."

‭Reyvn watched in horror, and felt everything drain out of him. The power that had been coursing through him dispersed, and the air around him sparked. His wings fell limp, catching and consuming the shadows that had held him in place. He fell forward, barely catching himself in time. "Stop," he said again, more desperate. "Please, stop."

‭Arna gasped in surprise when he was slapped. His senses came back to him for a brief moment as he sobbed, "Please, stop hurting him! I'll let you take me instead, but please leave him alone!" He was willing to give himself up for Reyvn. Never in his life had he cared so deeply for anyone.

‭Rendell grinned. "See, isn't that nice of him? He's willing to die for you."

‭Tears slid down Reyvn's face as he watched his old master and Arna, and he tried crawling towards them. The muscles in his back felt charred, making it hard to move. He winced from the pain, but kept moving. He had to save Arna.

‭Koumori smirked at his old slave, then slid an arm under Arna to lift him. He lowered his face to the boy's neck, brushing his fangs lightly along the smooth skin there. "Are you really willing to give your life for his?" he asked softly.

‭Arna nodded, still sobbing. Rendell picked Reyvn up again, and positioned him high in the air. "Why don't I give you a good seat to watch this lovely spectacle?"

‭"Foolish boy." Koumori bit into Arna's neck, shutting his eyes. He reveled in the taste of the hot blood rushing into his mouth. The adrenaline, the fear, the anger, and...something else. Something hot and pure rushed down his throat, and Koumori had to fight not to gag and pull away. What the hell was this?

‭Reyvn shuddered, screaming at Koumori to stop. He felt another surge of anger wash through him, and he renewed his fight against the tendrils. He knew he wouldn't have this power for long. He growled, then glared at the shadows encircling his waist. They quivered, and lowered him back to the ground and released him. He rushed at Koumori, eyes bleeding to black and orange. "That's enough!"

Koumori pulled away from Arna, looking up at the enraged requiem coming for him. He cursed and dropped the faint boy, and started to stand to defend himself.

‭Reyvn hit Koumori full force, sending both of them flying into a tree. There he wrapped his hand around Koumori's throat, claws digging in. He pulled an arm back, and sent his fist into the veran's face.

‭Arna's vision swam, and before he passed out, he saw Reyvn fly over him at Koumori.

‭Rendell cursed, and lunged at the boy while his back was turned, put him in a headlock and knocked him hard in the back of his head. "Damn, and you kept him tame?"

‭White light emitted from Reyvn's body, and he felt someone's arms lock around him. He snarled, wrapping his hands around those arms and tearing at them. His power faltered for an instant when he took a blow to the head, and then came back double. Black seeped from his body and wings, the air crackling around him. It ate at all the light and color surrounding them, then inverted itself. It slid back inside Reyvn's body, and all was still.

‭Koumori gasped, sliding away from the tree. He rubbed his cheek, which was already turning purple and red. "Shit, I think he cracked it." His body tensed when he felt energy flow from Reyvn again. "Oh gods, it's not over yet."

‭Reyvn still struggled in Rendell's arms, and his wings spread out behind them. The sound of space itself ripping apart shattered the stillness, like lightning splitting a great tree.

‭Koumori jumped back. He moved quickly, spreading his hands in front of him. "Run, Rendell, before you get caught in the spell." He began chanting, and a complex red glyph matching the one from the alchemy book appeared before him.

‭Rendell leapt back and bolted past Koumori, grabbing Arna as he did. He watched in amazement as Reyvn seemed to rip the air itself, and as Koumori began chanting.

‭Reyvn's body was the only light in all that darkness,which spread slowly from him. The tendrils searched and ate, the plants withering at their touch. He stalked towards Koumori, more shadows slithering up from the ground with each step.

‭Koumori had to fight not to panic and flee, and chanted faster. He didn't have any of the materials he needed, so he had to make up for it somehow. The glyph expanded, glowing with the color of blood. His blood. Some symbols were colored white, while others were gold. He made a pushing motion with his hands, and the entire thing flew forward.

‭It smacked into Reyvn's aura, and the two powers battled for a moment. Black lightning crackled against the bind glyph, pushing it back.

‭Koumori growled, and pushed harder. He could not let Reyvn win this. He used the half-formed link he had with Arna, and shoved it against the glyph. Reyvn's power faltered and the symbol rushed forward.

‭It washed over Reyvn, and his wings were forced into his back. He cried out, the sound reverberating through the woods as his body arched back. He collapsed to the ground, and had only seconds to see the symbol embed itself into the dead grass around him. His vision blanked out along with his power. The air settled around him and the ripping sounded again, this time in reverse.

‭Rendell shielded himself with one arm as the symbol embedded itself, then stared at Koumori in wonder. "Whoa... remind me not to piss you off." He tucked Arna under one arm before walking over to him. "So this is the binding spell?"

‭The symbol glowed bright red through the dead brown foliage surrounding the requiem, still at work. Reyvn's skin stopped glowing, and all the power he had released soaked back into him.

‭Koumori was breathing heavily, clearly worn out. He slumped forward, and found it challenging just to remain standing. He looked at the unconscious boy in Rendell's arms. "Hate to...admit it but, if I hadn't drank that boy's blood, I could not have stopped Reyvn. It's him you have to worry about pissing off."

‭Rendell offered a hand to help Koumori up. "I kind of gathered. Do you think maybe I pushed him a little too far? He takes physical beatings far better than mental ones."

‭Koumori looked at the hand, made a face, and righted himself after taking another deep breath. "Yes, and now you see why I said not to break him." He looked again at Arna, frowning. "I didn't expect these two to have such a strong bond."

‭Rendell looked at Koumori, slightly confused. "What would their relation have to do with this?" 

‭The veran sighed. Rendell was such an idiot. "Arna was willing to die for Reyvn, rather than run away to save his own hide. Reyvn cares enough for Arna that he wasn't going to let him die. He must have believed I was truly going to kill Arna, even though he knows I don't bite to kill." He looked to the limp body in the grass, thinking. "You're going to have to be very, very careful with any emotional games you play with him in the future."

‭Rendell nodded. "I'll make a note of that. Well... he's bound. Now what do we do?" He held Arna up, and inspected the bite wounds. "Does something smell off to you?"

‭It was Koumori's turn to look confused. "Smell off how? The fact that shadows killed nature and now there's a stench because of it, or did someone forget to bathe?"

‭Rendell shook his head and held Arna out to him. "Smell his blood. Now, I'm no connoisseur, but I know this isn't right. I smell adrenaline, I can smell the fear, but I smell something else. Think he ate something he shouldn't have?" He was truly confused as to why Arna's blood smelled this way. It never had before.

‭Koumori's faced scrunched and he stepped away from Arna. "Oh, that. Yes I tasted that when I bit him. I don't know what the hell it is, but it's not something he ingested." He turned and went to expect the glyph. Its glow was starting to fade, which meant it was almost finished with its job. "We'll be able to take Reyvn back in a few moments. The spell is almost done."

‭Rendell nodded and handed Arna to Koumori. "Want to hang onto him for a while, or should I?"

‭Koumori stepped back again, not taking Arna. "I need my hands free so I can release the spell, otherwise he's not going anywhere. You can carry him back and I'll hang onto Arna when it's all finished."

‭"Fair enough." Rendell pulled Arna back and inspected the wound. Then he tasted the blood still dribbling from Arna's neck. "Hm... It doesn't taste different. But there is definitely something there. Maybe you didn't clean your teeth well enough before we left?"

‭Koumori arched a brow. "If you're going to be rude I don't have to continue helping you. Ah." He kneeled next to the symbol, which simply looked like paint sprayed over the ground now. He held his hand above it, and carefully pushed into the space it encircled. His hand pressed against something solid and invisible, and he mumbled a few words. His hand went through, and the symbol vanished.

‭"Done." He stood and held his arms out to receive Arna.

‭Rendell handed him over. "What did you do, exactly?"

‭Koumori shifted Arna so he could hold him comfortably. "Save your questions for when we get back."

‭Rendell shrugged. "Well, can I pick him up?"

‭"Should be safe enough. But I don't know, he could always snap awake and bite your face off." Koumori grinned, and started to turn away.

‭Rendell decided to chance it and scooped the boy up. "I'm going back to my home. Feel free to drop by later, I'm still interested in that potion."


-------------

So yeah Koumori is an epic bag of douche, but I like the crazy bastard. Also since I'm talking about him, I have an amusing fact for you.
In Japanese, a koumori is a bat. As in, a flying, insect-eating, squeaking bat. I didn't know that when I named the character, so I laughed at the fact that Koumori just happened to be a vampire with an accidental appropriate name.
However, he does not transform into bats. x3


Enamoril: We haven't entirely decided what to do with Arna either. But that's later in the sequel to this. :D