Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

Spectre	By : Sugah Category: Digimon > General Views: 1627 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon: Digital Monsters, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
~Warning/Disclaimer~
The characters of digimon aren�t mine; I just use them shamelessly. There will be Yaoi. Sex. Rape and non-con in the future, psychological shit and all that... There will be stuff you won�t like, so deal.

Yiru, his abilities, the Mancer-abilities, the glyph system E�taihl, the districts and the names�they, however ARE mine. I could go on�but it�d bore you. ^_^ I know what I�ve got, I know what I�ve not, so there. :D

This chapter is rated pretty�tame�^_~ Thanks and much much love go out to the Beta! *snugs*

~Spectre~
::Aberration::

They came upon the market full of people and booths in an open area just ahead of the Third gate, but Daisuke couldn�t bring himself to look away from the structure. In his eyes, it stood quietly and peculiarly aware; eyeing it so closely sent a skittering chill down Daisuke�s spine; no one else seemed conscious of the thing, or even cared that it loomed over them, despite the lingering sensation of being watched back that Daisuke had.

He pulled his eyes away when Kahl paused near an open patch of earth. Cloaked and shielded from prying eyes, Daisuke knelt and helped him unroll a small blanket to sit on. They dropped the packs to the side and the redhead sat and scooted back, hiding himself and pulling his cloak tight around his face. It gave him the opportunity to glance around and watch the ones who came within his line of sight, as well as the surrounding area, without being seen.

Being noticed as a stranger wouldn�t go over well.

Daisuke pulled his gaze away from the black marble for the fourth time, trying hard to ignore his fascination with the Gate, and glanced around the market. He watched the beginnings of trade and quiet communications. From where he was sitting, he could see stalls of unpainted wood, peasants and commoners in equally drab clothing, faces behind veils and shawls. When he thought someone looked his way, he tried to watch from the corners of his eyes how the people moved slowly to each stall. How they made an offer for goods with nothing but a low mutter of words and the clinking exchange of gray coin-like tokens. He couldn�t hear laughter, any speaking or happy greetings. The few children he could see ranged in ages from young toddlers to miniature solemn adults in gray-green clothing and impassive faces.

Perhaps the children watched the world without the weary silence of the adults, but to Daisuke, as he settled behind Kahl and kept his face hidden, the children were just as translucent and vacant, with nothing inside to give off any sense of life but the basic functions.

Shuddering, he turned his face away and focused on the ground.

These people seemed emotionless, without any reaction to anything except for fear, mistrust and an echo of pain. They moved slowly and hesitantly, as if they weren�t sure of even the footing underneath them. Any movement too sudden or harsh and someone shied away. Was it possible that a demon was responsible for the collapse of countless cities in this world? Daisuke ducked his head as a middle-aged woman stepped by.

It is possible, he thought, shaking slightly. It seems so very possible. A demon that can�that can eat people�

He understood, now, why the old man was so unnerved when he smiled, or showed too much curiosity. Against these people he was as brightly colored as a splashing rainbow in a gray sky. He was not the same.

But these people, these common simple people�Even they aren�t as bad as some�

He darted a glance as several men dressed in black tunics with red trim came sauntering down the road. They, like the rest, did not smile or look particularly alive except for the glint of cruelty in their eyes. They were human, healthy-looking and dressed well, but compared to the faint expressions of the shabby commoners, the men in black were flat, dressed up dolls.

By the sudden slight deference, bows and averted faces, he had the notion that these men, dressed in finer clothing and without whatever emotions the low-caste still had�were noble, or whatever passed for noble here.

And somehow, they were worse.

Daisuke had to fight a second shudder. He�s already gone through the richer people, through everyone�It�s definitely possible�

The book is right�he�s a soul-eater�Daisuke thought to the journal, to the skimmed passages and felt a brief stab of anxiousness. He wanted to pull it out and read closer, but he didn�t dare. He had to go with what he could remember. He knew the demon survived on the ethereal substance that existed within these people, the Spark was was the source of all life, emotions and feelings�

Daisuke raised his eyes from his shaking fingers to see Kahl shake his head at an offer made by a surprisingly pretty woman with ageless eyes.

Sighing, Daisuke resolved himself to a long day. I can�t do anything like this�I�m in the city but I can�t do anything because that thing will know I�m here�and I can�t leave either�

'/~

Early morning had long passed towards midday by the time the demon Yiru and the Kaizer, as escort, managed to reach the center of the dual fifth and sixth districts. The Kaizer did not envy the demon�s need to idly inquire after nobles�or those with more riches and the complete and utter lack of emotion but cruelty�and the fawning high-born people took hours to stop groveling.

Yiru did enjoy his games, his pretenses, the Kaizer thought in distaste.

He fought a sneer as one woman clad in a light pastel favored by the upperclass slowly leaned past him, drawn to Yiru through the compulsions placed upon every person present, even him. Fear shone in her eyes, a glint of hate Ken knew she was hardly aware of. Fear infiltrated everything in this world.

The demon smiled prettily in response, reaching with one white hand to caress her cheek as he moved past. The glance she shot the Kaizer as he followed was of pure jealousy.

It would have been better if he had killed them all, instead of letting them become what they are�The Kaizer raised a brow and narrowed his eyes; the woman moved aside. Inhuman soulless monsters�

Ahead, Yiru�s neutral-shaded clothing glimmered slightly in the pallid sun, his attention and amusement taken with a pair of fawning high-born, a man and his wife�the woman who shamelessly pressed herself to the demon�s side while her husband bowed, professing undying loyalty with a voice that quivered. The Kaizer was nothing more than a passing interest to these people. Alone, he might have drawn more respect, but as the aloof and silent Kaizer in the shadow of the demon�he was less than nothing.

It didn�t matter that his hatred for the demon ran deep; Yiru drew even his attention in the manner of the unpredictable predator. It wouldn�t be above him to kill any one of the humans here out of a passing fancy; it wouldn�t be much more to kill the boy-prince who learned secrets from him.

Stop it� the waver that was Ken whispered. I can�t �

The Kaizer cast his gaze away from the demon and the people surrounding him, from the gloating knowledge on their cold faces that another child was fated, and judged the distance they had yet to travel. The dual Gates of the Fifth and Sixth district were ahead. Soon they�d pass the widespread homes and manors of the high-born around them, the derelict public libraries and gardens. The Fourth district waited for them, the Gate half-hidden behind the inns and taverns.

Sai�nis yn�Ye�nin�Kyr�nim� (1) The names whispered through his mind. The Districts have names more suited to the purposes these people find�The District of the Highborn�The District of Rooms�

No one knows their true names anymore�

And then the market, the Second District, the place where he would have to search out a child. His gut churned at the thought, but he allowed no emotion to pass across his face, even though he wanted to strike at the women trying to touch him, the mixed jealous hatred in their eyes, wanted to take up something sharp and bury it in the dead-white flesh ahead of him�

His place was so muigheigher�and his purpose darker.

A child in the Lit�ei District. (2)

'/~

Hours passed as Daisuke sat there, or dug out another item for Kahl to sell. The tension of keeping himself secret, �normal� to these people, had only abated slightly over time. He received only the occasional glance, the smallest hesitations. He hadn�t given them any reason for mistrust, he thought, and the old man was helping�the people accepted what the old man had no qualm with.

But somehow, every now and then, he could tell they were afraid.

The sun was edging past the line of the wooden slat-and-plaster homes, slung like gold on the mix of thatch and shingles. It would be time to leave soon, past noon and coming close to the sunset. Daisuke shifted uneasily, unsure if there was more to come.

There�s always more, a quiet voice assured him

Daisuke knew it to be true as a moment later his instincts sounded. People stirred suddenly, surprising Daisuke; he hadn�t thought they could move so quickly, ushering back from the middle of the market where most of the displays were, giving way without appearing out of the ordinary.

Daisuke peered over the multitudes, trying to see without being obvious. �What�s going on?� he murmured, almost panicking. Kahl didn�t respond. Daring, uke uke craned his neck and peered down between the shifting bodies.

Something�s coming.

Demon?

Daisuke couldn�t tell. As earlier with the men in the red-trimmed black, these people of c�Orlin were dressed in fine-weave clothing, pastels on the women�who had their heads shielded with fine lacy shawls. More of the doll-like people, life-like puppets who moved, spoke and had something worse than emptiness inside. There were three of them, perhaps more he couldn�t see.

�Highborn.� Kahl muttered, barely audible.

The people within the square were still drawing back, faces averted and posture submissive. Peasant women in drab clothing and tunics pulled their children to them, tense and silent. He could see the white knuckles of their hands and the slight shake at their shoulders, wondered why they just stood there if they were so afraid�

Something was wrong. Daisuke remained on aching knees, fists tensind red realized his wrist seemed to be burning.

Jumping, he jerked his arm up by reflex, cupping his hand over the ember of pain, and saw nothing but the bracelet against his skin.

//A charm of yours?//

It was a blazing speck of ice against his wrist.

//He�s coming!//

Against his will, his eyes were drawn to the approaching group of high-born, past the frozen and silent peasants. Past the pair of men in black lacquered armor with silver etching, past a woman cold in the face and eyes and still smiling, still beautiful�

�heart lurching hot and thick in his throat as they moved aside�

�and he looked to the slim figure in the flat flowing black, the pale skin of his neck and cheeks, the tousled spiky hair as the boy strode unknowingly towards him. His face was turned towards the line of peasants, scanning faces beneath the hats and shawls and dirty tangled hair.

Osamu? Daisuke thought in horrid recognition. No�it can�t be�it�s him� as his mind flashed to the brief image of the mirror, of the boy Ken standing on the other side. His face hadn�t changed, but it hadn�t been so dead, either. His eyes hadn�t been so flat�

What is he doing?

He heard a soft noise, choked and breathless, felt it echo in his chest.

Kahl turned his head, glancing. �What is it?� the old man hissed.

Daisuke couldn�t make himself answer immediately, staring and frozen in place. �Who�Who is that?� he asked, knowing and dreading the answer�He�s not the demon, is he?!

Fear burned through Kahl�s eyes. �He is the Kaizer.�

The word sounded strange. Foreign.

�He is the demon�s pet,� Kahl continued. �He is worse than one of the high-born��

Kaizer�Kaizer�that�s�Daisuke frowned. The word was too strange, thick and rough�but it wasn�t�it was�

It�s not one of their words�he realized briefly. It�s a word from my world�

Am I thinking in a different language?! his mind flashed at him, almost painful to consider. How�How?

He didn�t have time to contemplate the thought. The crowd of high-born parted just past the Kaizer, and a figure was walking slowly. Dressed in pale cream and light blues, with a flash of gold or jewelry against his wrists and chest, the man was inhumanly tall. Green shimmered along the lines of the ribbons wrapped about him, crossing the marble skin. Long tresses of ice-colored hair, and a flawlessly beautiful face�even at such a distance Daisuke felt his heart catch.

The burning intensified.

Daisuke tried to catch his breath, tried to stop his heart from hammering; the sight of the nearly naked man�demon!�sent a spiky warning down his spine. He couldn�t help but admire the creature, the lines of the demon�s body glimpsed through the gauze. It fascinated him and at the same time horrified him that it was so easy to admire.

Oh shit that�s him it�s really him, he knew. His wrist threatened to ignite, the bracelet cold and hot by turns, the silver itself warding painfully.

What are they doing here? Why are they here?

He watched without moving, seeing the high-born smile, mind shying away from the expressions on their faces, the inhuman greedy coldness. They were all close enough to see him, to know him�the Kaizer�Ken�his mind whispered�whoever he was and whatever game he was playing�he would know!

But what are they doing!? he thought again. He had to know.

�Kahl,� he breathed, ducking down to keep the movement of his mouth hidden. �Kahl, what are they here for?� Anxiety lent a breathy fear to his voice, a shrill of panic he couldn�t hide.

The old man exhaled, head averted in the manner of the rest of the common folk, and whispered back, �They have come for a child.�

�for WHAT? Daisuke wanted to scream. The silver was numbing his entire arm, and the Kaizer and the demon�it had to be the demon�they were so close. So close. He couldn�t understand, could only watch.

Mothers bowed their heads to hide their faces as their hands clutched at the shoulders of children, small and helpless. No one moved, and it was only the children who raised wide and fearful eyes to the approaching danger.

Why don�t they run? Daisuke thought, mind already guessing at the answer.

They can�t...I can�t even move and I�ve only been here for days�they�ve known that thing for years and years�

The Kaizer walked slowly, ignoring everything but the children ahead of him. As he passed each one, choosing none, the women visibly relaxed. Daisuke could see the relief and shame in their eyes that the child they held would be spared when the next child would not be.

Daisuke could only watch, heart pounding and skin icy cold as ten yards away the Kaizer paused, eyes narrowing. A hum of something, low-pitched and soft, whispered on the air, around him and nowhere at once.

The Kaizer didn�t move on.

The mother winced, the only expression she allowed, as the Kaizer stepped forward. This close, Daisuke had a perfect view of the pale facth tth thin lips and dark violet eyes. If the boy were to look up, just a bit past the cringing mother, their eyes would meet. As it was, Daisuke was the only one to see a flicker of something�

No! he wanted to scream. You�re supposed to be the good guy!

The Kaizer knelt in front of the child, a young boy with a shock of dark hair and eyes, in patched breeches and a too-large tunic. A hand covered in a dark material rose to touch the child�s forehead. As the Kaizer brushed his skin the child showed nothing a widening of the ebon eyes, and after a moment the Kaizer nodded slowly.

�Come,� he said, standing and taking the child by the hand.

The mother immediately pushed him along without a word; she couldn�t meet his eyes as the child looked back over his shoulder. After a small tug, the boy followed the Kaizer.

Daisuke was the only one to witness how the black-clad shoulders stiffened when the high-born mockingly cooed to the child, laughing amongst themselves.

No! he wanted to shriek. Let him go! He�s a c a child!

The demon smiled slowly, cunningly when the Kaizer returned to his side. The taller male raised his hand and ran a brief caress over the pale cheek of the Kaizer, even as the other moved his head away. The child stared up with pale fear, clasping tightly at the hand still wrapped around his fingers.

�Shall we return?� the demon murmured, voice nearly silent, turning towards the road and the black Gate, towards the palace high in the Seventh district.

Shit�shit shit�what do I do�Should I follow?

Something twinged within his mind, a sense of alarm as his arm brushed his side and jostled a bag slung at his hip.

The journal. If he followed...if he went to the palace�and the demon found it�Daisuke shuddered. I don�t dare let him find it, but I can�t just let this happen!�and I have to do something, right?

�Dammit,� he whispered under his breath as his fingers fumbled at the ties, pulling at the pouch until it hung in his hand.

But what�what do I do? Where do I put this?

�Kahl�� he began, glancing around. No one seemed to pay attention to them as the old man turned his face. �Kahl, take this and hide it. Don�t open it, or take it out�you understand? Hide it!�

Dark eyes went wide as the old man�s skin grayed. �What are you�what are you doing!?�

�Trust me,� Daisuke replied quietly. �I�m not�I�m not like you, and I might have a chance to do something��

�What? Are you mad?!� Kahl sputtered, reflexively catching the bundle as Daisuke thrust it into his grasp. �You cannot go against the Kaizer, much less the demon! You�ve lost whatever wits you have�you cannot do this thing!�

�Probably,� Daisuke grinned and winked. The thought But what am I gonna do? went through his mind. He scrabbled his hand around the ground, searching by instinct, folding his fingers around a surprisingly heavy rock. He glanced once more at Kahl, then to the group of nobles and the pair near the middle.

�If things go right, I�ll come back for it. Later, geezer.�

Kahl gasped and flinched as Daisuke got to his feet, out of Kahl�s hesitant grip on his cloak. �No, you must not�� he was saying, but Daisuke put it out of hiad aad and didn�t look back.

The redhead moved unnoticed into the road with a few short strides, daring and upright. Peasants murmured suddenly at the movement, eyes drawn to him. They moved back a few steps out of habit. Ahead, a noble chanced to look back, disdain etching cold lines on his brow�he could see a small cloaked figure standing where no peasants dared, face barely visible from the shadows. He frowned, then his empty eyes widened, but there was no time.

Shit.

Daisuke hefted the stone, eyes fixed on the clear shot of the gauzy shoulders of the demon�

I�m so screwed.

�and flung the rock as hard as he could.

The Kaizer reacted instantly and pivoted without ever releasing the hand of the child on his right. For the brief instant, hair and eyes wild, gaze ice cold and just as immobile, he focused on the stone, on the one who had thrown it, his left palm streaking up to block it�

�and Daisuke was suddenly aware of tumbling backwards, shoved across the rough cobbles by a force he couldn�t see. There were no sounds in that endless moment of shock, as he felt himself rolling to a stop. He had a second to think What the hell was that? and groaned, shaking under the cowl as he curled up on his side. He gasped for a breath, realizing he hadn�t been thrown very far�if that was what had happened.

The Kaizer stood, black fury encased in an impeccable mask, staring him down with an expression of calculating contempt. It left Daisuke with the certain feelings that the other boy would defend the demon; that his power was immense.

Is that what the Spark is?

Daisuke couldn�t quite understand it; it baffled him. The demon was evil�and he was here to help the one who protected that evil? It didn�t make sense!

Daisuke had all of that in his head for in seconds. There had been almost no witness to the Kaizer�s display of power�other than the common folk drawing away into the shadows. The demon had yet to turn around and acknowledge his attacker. Perhaps he thought Daisuke was merely some irritated peasant, or some renegade noble�because he knew that there was no we coe could have not noticed what just happened.

Half-covered by his cloak, he struggled to his feet while two men in black tunics appeared with surprised hurried steps his way. Daisuke was annoyed to feel somewhat insulted.

two two guards with swords strapped to their belts grabbed him with wide-eyed alarm by the arms, pulling him upright with rough jerks. Daisuke didn�t expect them togentgentle, but they seemed almost afraid of him.

Well, I might

4

5

You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Spectre