Malice by X Crossover

Okay... I got this idea from listening to Illuminati and playing Quest For Glory 4: Shadows of Darkness. Heh heh. If you've ever played the game, you'll know about the Rusalka in the lake. A conversation between onnesama and myself was something along the lines of "No way am I goin' in that pond with a half-naked chick!" And onnesama replies. "Yeah, but if it was a half-naked Hide you'd dive right in, ne?" And, so I did… er, sorta.

'Fraid the story isn't as developed as my other stories since I'm keepin' this one SHORT (er, sorta)! Enjoy though.

Shadows of Darkness
by: Korogi Nagisa
January, 1999

      Pale and fragile, like a small porcelain doll locked forever in darkness under an even darker shadow. It was the only life he had known, the only life that he thought could ever exist for him. As the years grew longer, the days more and more voided, every morning the young one would awake in his small room dressed in the most fragile ice-blue silk imaginable. He spent the balance of his days staring out the window of a tall tower to the dying lands surrounding him, owned by the man who had kidnapped him from a life that was almost forgotten.
      At the foot of his large, plush bed sat a coffin lined in blood-red satin. It served as a reminder to him of what would happen if he dared defy the master of the castle. Painful memories of being locked tightly in that coffin for days pierced his heart, almost brought him to tears to think of it. The Master was a cruel, heartless man, a person whom he never wanted to think about unless absolutely necessary.
      The large oak door to the small room opened slowly behind him, a small creak of aged metal moaning through the hinges. It barely phased him at all as he continued to look out the window, lost in nothing in particular. "Lady Mana?" came a soothing, deep voice.
      Slowly, he turned from where he sat in the window, the cool morning breeze blowing his long and soft golden curls of hair over his shoulders. "Yes?" he asked almost breathlessly, deep painted eyes following slowly around the room to the open door.
      A huge, brown hairy monster framed the oak door, just fitting between the frames as it entered. It was like a hideous werewolf told in tales to frighten little children around the campfire, a mouth full of snarling, dripping fangs hanging out from giant, powerful jaws. "The Master wishes you to join him for breakfast, Lady Mana," the beast spoke softly and gently, despite its horrid appearance.
      Mana smiled ever so lightly, barely a turn of his lips which were always painted deathly blue. Mana always sat in large, elaborate blue satin dresses as the Master liked him to be in. Long ago when he was still a young boy, Mana had been taken from his family to fulfill the needs of the Master of the castle, a cold man whom no one but the monster knew by true name. The Master called the castle "Grace", and in all, the name fit the castle perfectly. It was carved directly out of the mountain on which it stood a marvel of granite and marble refinery. Every curve and every turn of the castle was subtle and natural as if formed from centuries of flowing water.
      And Mana's purpose in the castle was for presence only. The Master wanted a daughter to fill the empty corners of his life since no woman would ever marry him to give him a child. Mana had always dressed and acted as a young woman even before he was taken to live in Castle Grace. When the large brown monster had abducted him from his town, he had appeared as a young girl then. It was only until after being placed in the castle dungeons that the truth was discovered… Mana was indeed a man.
      But the large beast had taken pity on Mana as he watched the small frail creature weep at its feet. For over a decade, the two had kept this secret from the Master successfully, Mana continuing to pose as the silent daughter that he was supposed to be.
      The beast managed a soft smile to Mana as it stepped into the room and helped him from the high windowsill, barely an effort needed for the strong monstrosity.
      "Toby," Mana spoke softly, allowing the powerful beast to help him to the floor. "Could we walk through the forest after breakfast?"
      "If the Master allows it, yes," the beast, Toby, spoke.
      Mana lowered his head to the floor as he stepped into his slippers, tucking a thick robe over his shoulders. "I hate this castle."
      "Lady Mana," the beast warned in a low tone, the voice rattling in its chest. "Don't let the Master hear you say such things. He'll punish you for certain." Toby watched as Mana winced, memories of being locked in the blood-red coffin ringing painfully back into mind. "Above all things, you must obey him."

      The Master sat cradled in one of the huge chairs in the dinning hall as the servants were bringing breakfast to the table. He sat in regal dress, a very beautiful brocaded brown coat and pants, as it was known to be cool in the castle. He had short brown hair and thin, viscous-looking brown eyes. He grumbled something to himself as he saw the large, brown monster stride slowly into the room unaccompanied. "Where's my daughter, Toby?" he spoke with a heavy note of displeasure, turning in his chair so that his legs dangled over one of the padded arms.
      Toby bowed slowly, quite a struggle for his massive upper body. "The Lady Mana wishes to go for a walk in the woods after breakfast this morning, Lord Toshi," he spoke humbly, lowering his large, brown eyes before the Master.
      The other sighed heavily and picked up his glass of orange juice. "She IS joining me for breakfast, right?"
      "Yes, Lord."
      "I don't see why she can't have her walk if she wishes," he answered. "But Toby…"
      "Yes Lord Toshi?"
      "You'll keep her far from the village, won't you?"
      "Yes, Lord. Of course, Lord," the beast bowed deeply.
      "Good. Bring my daughter in now, Toby."
      "Yes, Lord."
      Lord Toshi sat upright and proper in his chair as a maid began to fill his plate with breakfast, a steaming concoction of fragrant foods. It was scarcely a minute before the lumbering beast Toby led Mana into the dinning hall and into one of the large, oak chairs.
      Mana sat quietly and non-disruptive as a maid served him breakfast, nodding his head once in thanks.
      "I trust you slept well last night?" Lord Toshi asked across the table, shooing away a maid.
      "Yes, father." Mana stared at his plate a moment before carefully and quietly taking a fork into his hand. "Father?" he began quietly. He didn't receive a verbal answer, just a sideways glance from the cold man across the table from him. An indication that he could speak. "Would you mind if Toby and I took a walk through the forests after breakfast?"
      "I've already discussed and approved it with Toby. You know where you can and can not venture, child."
      "Thank you, father."

      The village was scarcely more than a few streets wide and a couple of houses deep. It sat nestled in a clearing in the large forest atop a small, rolling hill. A small brook babbled its way under a wooden bridge leading in from the dark forest, setting the entire gathering strangely apart from the haunted and deadly forest that surrounded it on every side.
      Tall, stone and iron walls and gates rimmed the village, like a mother's arms hiding her child from unseen dangers. The forests were know for their deadly creatures, preying on travelers and stray villagers who lost their ways in the tangled forests. From the village, one could see Castle Grace looming in a ring of darkness in the mountains above in the east. The gate keeper there had a massive horde of deformed and demonic dogs that he let wander through the woods when they became restless. At times, the dogs would wander close to the village, an unfortunate few of the beastsfalling prey to the villagers guns and swords to become prized mantle pieces on the tavern walls.
      And in that very tavern this morning, three of the village's main gossipers sat around a breakfast beside the hearth fire before going off to work in their fields.
      "Curse the lot of them," one of them snorted, admiring the new prized head that had been mounted above the hearth. It was a snarling head of some unknown creature, almost like the head of a dragon. "Those witches in Grace are turning these lands into a haven for every creature from hell."
      "I agree there, Bob," another snorted over his cup of warm cider. "Fred tells me that Lord Grace's sons have built a temple in the swamps just south of town now. No good bunch of devils and warlocks."
      "Aye! I've seen one of them!" Fred piped up, elbowing his friend, Bill, in the shoulder. "He was out wanderin' through the forests when I was huntin' wargs last night. All dressed in red robes, conjuring spirits and what-not."
      A lightly-aged man came out of the kitchen, the tavern keeper, carrying a hot pitcher of cider. "You telling stories in my tavern again, Fred?" he spoke with a straight face, setting the pitcher on a vacant table. The tavern keeper smiled slightly, flipping long, curled brown hair behind his shoulders.
      "Them aren't stories, Pata!" Fred defended himself, puffing out his chest as if to further emphasize his point. "Them's facts! I seen those devil-boys of Lord Grace with my own eyes! And least ways, you more than any of us should be talkin'. His monster stole your daughter over 5 years ago."
      "Son," Pata corrected lowly. "Mana was my son."
      Fred snorted and sipped his ale, doing little more than grunting with each sip.
      "Least ways," Bill began quickly to drive away the few seconds of silence that had gathered. "I say we start takin' back our lands again. Ever since the Graces moved into that cursed castle, more and more creatures keep coming to our forests, and more and more of the forest keeps falling under darker shadows. It's getting so you can't even step outside the village gates safely anymore."
      Pata frowned… but not from Bill's complaining. The tavern door opened slowly to them, spilling morning sun into the darkened room. As the sun lit the corners of the hall, strings of garlic could be seen lining the corners to warn off evil spirits, giving the hall a feeling of mysticism.
      A stranger appeared in the doorway, tall and lean, carrying a small bag with him. Wordlessly, he entered into the hall, closing the door behind him with scarcely a sound to be heard from the actions. He was a handsome man, a loose, white shirt clung to his back as he strode in, taking a seat softly at a vacant table. He looked around the tavern quickly at each of the faces that watched him and at each of the heads of beasts that adorned the wall.
      Pata gathered himself and made his way to the table and the newcomer, waiting patiently until the stranger regarded him. "Good morning," he began softly. "We don't get many outsiders to the village." The stranger only gave him a look. "So… uh… what brings you into this lonely part of the world?"
      "I'm looking for someone," the stranger spoke softly.
      "Oh?" Pata asked, motioning to the kitchen to have some breakfast brought for the stranger. "Who are you looking for?"
      "He's a wizard whom I was told lived in this forest." The stranger sat by as another man placed a plate of food before him and scurried off.
      "Ah, you're talkin' about the Blue Rose, aren't you, stranger."
      "Blue Rose?"
      "Aye. We call him that. He lives in a small section of the forest that hasn't been taken over by the evil forces. The Peace, we call it. Legend has it that an even older wizard still lives there with him. They both had tried to keep the Graces from moving into the castle you see in the west," Pata threw a thumb over his shoulder, pointing through the walls of the tavern. "But the lord of the castle had demon warlocks for sons, and they cursed the old wizard to spend an eternity in the pool that sits in the Peace. The other wizard who still lives there grows gardens of blue roses around the pool to keep the water from drying up. That's why we call him the Blue Rose. He visits our village every so often. But other than that, we know very little of him."
      The stranger nodded and took a bite of his food. It tasted as though it was laced with garlic, but it was still palatable.
      "Would you mind if I asked your name, stranger?" Pata leaned in, curiously.
      The stranger looked up slowly. "Camui. Gackt Camui," he said, rising from the table. "Which way is that clearing you were talking about?"
      "To the west," Pata pointed through the walls of his tavern again. "But I warn you, these woods are thick with demons. You must be careful when traveling off the path through the woods."
      "I'll be careful," Camui spoke, carefully taking up a few pieces of toast. He flung his pack over his shoulder and headed for the door, and Camui disappeared out of the tavern.

      The thin eyes followed around the room until they fell on a young man sitting at a desk. The young man had short, almost white hair as he stooped over a large, skin-bound tome, humming a stupidly cheery tune to himself, doodling incantations on a piece of old paper. He was dressed in complete black, making his short, white hair almost shine atop his head.
      The other in the room was dressed in heavy red robes, elaborate makeup and face paint adorning his pale face to hide any signs of what he may have looked like previously. He seemed to be thinking of something to himself in deep concentration, every so often interrupted by a high pitch in the other's humming.
      The one in black got up from the desk and his tome and crossed the torch-lit room to a large hole in the floor. It was half-filled with a dark liquid the color of blood, steaming slightly in the cold dungeon. What looked like a few fingers stuck out of the liquid, the skin of the fingers blued and beginning to rot. "I'm bored," he declared loudly, reaching into the hole to pull out an arm of some unfortunate person.
      "You're always bored, Yu-Ki," the other huffed, crossing the room to the open tome. "In four hour's time, the moon will be at its proper ascension and we all can rid ourselves of those two blasted wizards that live up in the Peace beside the village."
      Yu-Ki sighed and turned the dismembered limb around in his hands, looking it over meticulously. "Maybe we can also rid ourselves of that menacing girl that Father has taken in as a daughter." He rose to his feet and padded slowly across the room, the arm leaving a small pattered trail of blood behind him. One of the demon dogs the family kept raised its head and perked up its ears as he approached and bent before it. The demon panted and wagged a bony tail as Yu-Ki handed him the arm, scratching behind the beast's tattered ears. "Good doggie," he cooed stupidly, watching the dog tear into the arm. "In a few days, you'll have wizard flesh to munch upon."
      He rose back to his feet as Kozi appeared behind him, laying a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Yu-Ki. Do you think the three of us will have enough power to drain the spring in the Peace before the full moon?"
      Yu-Ki frowned a moment and looked to the large book. "Good question. It would certainly make our job a lot easier.
      Kozi turned from the desk and wandered over to his brother's other side, frowning at the demonic dog munching on its human snack.
      "But still…", Yu-Ki continued, humming a few bars of his cheery tune. "I find the wizard in the lake quite handsome. We could keep him prisoner in here instead. That would weaken the power of the Peace and give me some entertainment in my quiet times." Yu-Ki took a staff and carved out an imaginary hole in the floor beside his pit that was filled with blood and dismembered human parts. "What do you think?"
      Kozi smiled widely, a keen spark shining in his almost back eyes. "Shall I call Kami's lazy butt out of bed?"
      The other just smiled and struck the staff hard on the ground, sending a dull resonance through the dungeon. The stones within his traced block crumbled to dust and disappeared, leaving a four-foot deep hole in the ground. "Perfect plan."

      Mana clung tightly to one of Toby's massive arms as he was led down a path of rocks, Mana's soft, satin shoes slipping on the mossy surfaces. "Toby. Why won't my father let me walk close to the village?"
      Toby chuckled a feral laugh and plucked Mana easily from the ground, carrying him down the rocky path. "I'm sure the Master has his reasons."
      "But I know that there's a glade past the village where blue roses grow. You've told me about it. Can we go there?"
      Toby sighed lightly and set Mana back on the ground carefully, dusting wrinkles from the blue satin dress. "If you promise to stay by my side, we'll go there. But only for a few minutes. If your father knew I took you there, he would punish both you and I."
      Mana winced slightly. "I will."

On to part 2