A King's Legacy Ch. 27

Oust was sitting on the edge of the water, wearing only his rolled-up pants as his paws rested beneath the cooling water. The tiger had his eyes closed, letting himself process everything that had happened both recently, and long ago. The beast knew he had even more to figure out now, and knew there were still some painful parts to get passed, but Oust had a shred of hope for the first time in his life. That was enough for the beast, even now knowing that what happened with the runt was probably the only time it would happen... Aster had helped Oust in ways he would always be grateful for, but the tiger knew the score. The wolf had that boy's heart. The wolf was what that human really needed... Aster had confessed as much only moments before as they were cleaning up, after all. Even so, Oust was alright with even just a friend now, to really have someone there that knew nearly everything the tiger had kept to himself.

A snarling presence drew the attention of both warriors from their thoughts. Aster turned to see Stahl emerging from the trail, the boy's smile for his wolf rapidly faded into a frown as he realized something was very, very wrong here. The human hopped off the boulder quickly, his boots crunching in the dirt as the boy called out to his wolf in genuine concern.

"What's wrong? Is Rust alright?" Stahl scoffed loudly at the question... As if Aster didn't already know what was wrong here... Stahl spat his answer back in a tone that brought a sense of panic to Aster... Stahl didn't talk to him like that... Ever.

"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG?!? ARE YOU FUCKING MESSING WITH ME ASTER? SO MUCH FOR NEEDING SOME TIME ALONE! OR DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT I'M THAT DAMNED STUPID?" Aster froze, his thoughts locking up at the accusations. This wasn't like Stahl at all... The boy was stammering to answer, his fear and uncertainty getting the better of him.

"I... I would never think tha-" Stahl laughed in his face before he ever even finished, taking just a single step closer, bearing his fangs all the while. Aster's hands were trembling... For the first time ever, Stahl was finally making the human afraid of him. Stahl was far too consumed by his rage to ever notice, (or honestly, to even care at that point.) The beast cut back to the conversation at hand sharply.

"Do you think I don't know what happened here? DO YOU THINK I DON'T FUCKING SMELL HIM ALL OVER YOU?!? ANSWER ME ASTER! BY THE FUCKING GODS, ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" Oust was standing as well then. He expected the wolf to hate him, that was nothing new... But he never would've guessed the Aschefell, of all beasts, would unload on the human like that...

Aster took a step back, and Stahl quickly took one forward, closing the gap, leaning over his mate threateningly. The boy wasn't running away from this problem, Stahl wasn't going to let that happen. His piercing gaze was as harsh as his words were. Aster broke out into a cold sweat looking up into those eyes. They were always so soft, and even when they weren't, they were still a constant source of comfort for the human, ever since that first day at the Selection... But in that moment, Aster felt anything but comfort from that icy glare. He opened his mouth to answer, but found barely a squeaky whisper escape his lips.

"Stahl... I- I thought you knew what... I'm sorry... Y-You said-" Stahl towered over the boy, and screamed down at the top of his lungs through his raw heartbreak, losing all rational thoughts as he lost any control he still had remaining. Aster could only cower beneath the threatening maw just above him as the beast spat his poison. Even Stahl was shaking now, albeit, for far different reasons than the human was.

"OH, YOU'RE SORRY? WELL THEN, I GUESS THAT MAKES IT ALL BETTER! GUESS YOU CAN LET THE CAPTAIN RUT AROUND IN YOU NEXT, RIGHT? ALL IT TAKES IS A 'SORRY,' AND ASTER CAN JUST FUCK WHOEVER HE FEELS LIKE, RIGHT?" The tears were falling before Aster ever had a chance to stop them. He didn't want this... He never expected this... He didn't deserve this, did he? Stahl said it was alright the first time Aster even kissed Oust... The boy just couldn't figure out why would he say that, and then react like this? Stahl never let up, his rampaging temper proving itself quite formidable at making a mockery of his usual reason... At making a fool of the noble wolf.

"Oh look, Aster made a huge, fucking mess and he's crying about it now. BIG SURPRISE! Always have to have some kind of drama going on that someone else has to come deal with for you, right? FUCK EVERYONE ELSE'S PROBLEMS! LET'S SPEND ALL OF OUR TIME DEALING WITH ASTER'S FEELINGS BEFORE HE SHITS ALL OVER THE ONE'S ACTUALLY HELPING HIM... SO HE CAN GO FUCK SOME FELINE THAT TRIED TO KILL HIM A WEEK AGO!" Aster was already crushed before Stahl ever hammered in that final blow... But as the wolf finished that sentence with such emphasis on a particular word, the boy felt his own anger finally flare, proving once again that he got upset on the behalf of others far more easily than his own... He furrowed his brows as he answered that remark, his voice finally far more than a whisper.

"I was raised by felines, WOLF, so I would appreciate you not using it like some kind of slur, like we still live in the divided ages or something... If you had an issue with this, you should've said so from the start, Stahl... But maybe I was the only one here that was trying to be honest about everything. I DON'T lie to you Stahl... But it's becoming clear that you certainly haven't been saying how you really feel... Maybe not about anything between us apparently..." Stahl barked back, feeling even more frustrated than before.

"Oh, don't you worry, Aster, I'm letting you know EXACTLY how I'm feeling!" The boy cut the beast back on purpose this time, the pair quickly falling into the cycle of hurting one another.

"Oh, I see it... I see lots of things I didn't before... But I never saw this... I never thought you, of all people, would ever make me feel like this, Stahl..." The wolf shouted his reply at the top of his lungs.

"ONCE AGAIN, IT'S ALL ABOUT HOW ASTER FEELS! NEVER MIND HOW YOU'VE MADE ME FEEL... You know something? You were right back then... You are a terrible mate..." Aster recoiled at that remark, lowering his tear-streaked eyes as his own heart was truly crushed by the spite behind those words. Aster didn't want to fight anymore, that wicked jab had taken the last of that from him... But Stahl's eyes finally caught sight of something...

Just barely peeking out of Aster's shirt collar, there was some kind of a cut. Before Stahl even realized what he was doing, he scrunched up the front of Aster's shirt in his fist, and snatched the boy closer as he examined the shoulder. Stahl pulled the fabric loose some with his free hand, and simply stared at the four claw marks over the flesh there. Aster could feel the wolf tremble more violently with every passing second he just focused on that wound. Finally, the beast did speak again... In a shaky, hysterical voice that was barely audible at first, growing into a roar as the sentence went on.

"You... Hahaha... By the gods... Aster, you... YOU LET HIM FUCKING MARK YOU?!?" Before Aster ever had a chance to answer that, the wolf did something that he would look back on, and regret for many years to come... (As he would when looking back on most of that night.) Stahl lifted Aster roughly off of the ground by his grip on the shirt, turned with the action, and threw the boy to the side, still growling ferociously as the human landed in the dirt. Just as Oust was finally intervening with a worried, "HEY!" Stahl was already drawing his swords, and rushing towards the tiger. The noble wolf was officially out for blood... And the mountain was stirring.

The moment he heard the first inaudible yell from his uncle in the distance, Rust immediately started towards the river. Sir Corper let out a long sigh, and trailed behind the fox. It seemed a peaceful resolution was becoming less likely by the second. The duo approached steadily, the occasional loudly spoken words were too muffled for the fox to really comprehend, but Rust could at least discern that it was bad... Really bad if his uncle Stahl was reacting so violently... By the time they made it through the brush, Stahl and Oust were already locked in a fight to the death... The tiger was bleeding badly from a deep gash just over the left side of his collarbone. Stahl really was aiming for his head.

Rust frantically tried to yell something as he emerged, but was silenced along with the other beasts present when every single one of them were forced to a kneel. Aster had finally rose to his feet, his own sense of betrayal giving the human the strength to do what he needed to. Aster had used the heartbeat... It was the only thing he had left that he could do against that wolf... Stahl had proven he could beat Aster in a fair fight countless times, after all, and the boy didn't even have his staff, not that it would have made any difference anyhow. Oust, Rust, and Corper all gave the pair a little distance as they recovered from the heartbeat's effects... They could feel what was happening, and all three of them realized exactly how serious this was becoming. Rust began tending to Oust's wound as Aster kept the wolf busy. Sir Corper was preparing to intervene himself if needed...

As Stahl's pursuit was forced to a halt, the wolf glared back at the boy in both unfaltering fury, and shock. Aster did not strike a second time, he never even wanted to the first... He just had to stop this, and had no other choice. Stahl rose, staring down his mate with a pained, but careful expression. Lines were being drawn... Defenses were going up... Stands were taken... And positions were made clear... The boy and his wolf were eyeing each other in silence. It was like they were on entirely different planets in that moment... It was as if a tangible divide was forming between them, they could both just feel it. For the shortest glimpse, for just the shortest second... They were standing across from one another as enemies... And then the loudest roar of exploding rock and splitting earth finally pulled their gazes from each other.

The fissure from the mountain to the north was caving in at an alarming rate, the first small cracks traced themselves directly beneath Aster's feet before either warrior truly realized what was going on. The wolf and his boy barely had time to make eye contact again before the chasm disintegrated the earth around them. It stole their very purchase on the soil beneath them almost immediately, swallowing them both up as the land itself was torn in half around their positions. Aster and Stahl fell into the darkness as Sir Corper snatched a hold of Rust, turned to the west, and ran as quickly as he could alongside Oust, barely escaping the decaying jungle and the growing fissure before they too, were swallowed by the fault left in its wake...

The young fox was screaming for the bear to put him down, struggling vainly to free himself, to somehow do the impossible and save his uncles... He frantically shouted his trigger a moment later, jumping from the bear's grasp at last. He scrambled to the edge of the chasm, falling to all fours as he peered into the seemingly bottomless scar now cutting across the thicket. The divide formed had to be hundreds of meters across... The camp now seeming miles away as the three were effectively robbed of any hopes of crossing back over... Even Rust couldn't jump that far. The fox realized how hopeless everything was... His uncles were both gone without a trace... Oust and Corper were the only ones with him anymore... And there was no way to reach the rest of their party from across those freshly carved cliffs... Rosten Aschefell could only weep in utter defeat as the two beasts behind him tried to make sense of what had just happened...

Suddenly, a bit of hope was restored, as Rust caught the faintest hint of a golden glow far below, deep in the shadowy depths of the divide. Aster was alive... Maybe that would be enough to keep Stahl alive too, at least, until the fox could reach them... The cub called back to the bear as he stood.

"Aster is still down there... So Stahl may be down there with him... In my training, I've only made it about sixty feet... I don't think I can actually do it, but I have to try and reach them... I can't just leave them down there and do nothing... Mar-" Rust crumpled on the spot, Sir Corper knocking him out cold before he ever got the trigger out again. The bear reached down, picked up the adolescent fox, and gently laid him over his shoulder. He turned to Oust, who was staring at his master in shock. Corper answered the unspoken question.

"He can move from one place to another instantly. It's a bloodskill, and a bit of a secret... But he would kill himself trying to reach that far, and I can't keep a grip on him when he uses it... So this was the next best option... If the human survived, the wolf survived too... He wouldn't let him fall alone, and we both know that. Letting this cub jump to his death after them wouldn't help anything." Oust was a bit shocked by the news of the bloodskill, but understood. His teacher had made the right call... But...

"Even if they are alive... Will they be alright? That wolf pretty well lost it back there..." The bear chuckled a bit, even in the face of such marring circumstances.

"Don't worry... I imagine they've managed to get over that VERY quickly given where they are now... I have no idea what's truly going on here... But it is no accident... Something powerful is at play here, young one... Power like that human holds... The kind of power you don't go picking fights with. I think we need to get far away from here, because that seems to be the clear message to us right now..." Oust turned to his mentor, staring in worry as he responded.

"So we abandon them down there?" The veteran shook his head slowly as he replied.

"This is no accident... If whatever wields that power wanted them dead, there were easier ways to do it... The river is gone, claimed by the fault as well... But a new one will form in its absence. Remember, flow with the river. Sometimes that means an abrupt change of course. Sometimes it is following a new current entirely. Let's see where these waters want to lead us." The bear spoke nothing else of the matter, stepping off towards the west, the side of the line they had been ushered to. He did bring up another conversation, however, as his pupil trailed behind him.

"So... Did the sex help with the clarity at least? Feeling less cranky now?" Oust flustered bright red on the spot. Sir Corper could only chuckle. Somehow, the bear just knew... They were on the right path.

===

Flose was crouched over his sketch book as usual, bundled safely beneath his cloak in the dark of the night, closely comparing the leaf Mercy had brought to him with the picture he had copied from the book of herbs. With a heavy sigh, Flose turned to the little chirpy bird, and gave his answer.

"No good... They should grow around here somewhere though... We just have to keep looking, Mercy... Remember, white flower, orange center... I thought Daisies would be common in this thicket... Never imagined it would be the one ingredient we couldn't find..." The feral little bird chirped her response, forcing a smile on the cloaked figure. Flose answered in appreciation.

"Thank you... But don't worry, I'm not giving up all hope yet! Rest for a while longer, and we can check to the east after..." Just as Flose finished that statement, a low rumble became quickly noticeable beneath his feet. It erupted into a quaking tremor as the very ground shook and rattled beneath him. Mercy was flying above him, chirping and calling out all sorts of warnings, but all Flose could do was simply brace himself on all fours while the fissure carved its path through the thicket. A moment later, and the quake abruptly stopped, leaving Flose feeling a bit jarred from the event. Mercy darted off high above the trees, returning a moment later to deliver her report. Flose's eyes went wide at the statement, quickly asking for more clarification about the intel.

"To which direction? Are we cut off?" The bird happily chirped her response, and Flose let out a heavy sigh of relief. It had carved the gorge to the east, meaning he could return by the west or the north still. He stood, gathering both his things, and his thoughts before he called out to his feathered friend.

"Looks like there's no point in searching east then... let's go west for now, we may just be searching too deeply in the heart of this forest. They like sun, and they wouldn't get that with these trees..." The cardinal perched on his shoulder once more as it chirped in agreement, offering more encouragement afterwards. Flose forced another smile in response.

"Yeah... I'm sure we will... They are going to be alright... We will find some way to help them... This medicine will work... It has to..." Flose tightened his fists, hardened his resolve, and stepped off towards the west. Neither the stillness of the night, nor the quaking of any stone would be enough to stop him from finding that way, to finding some solution that could save those precious lives hanging in the balance. There was far too much at stake for him not to. Just as he made it the first few steps, Flose paused for just the shortest second, and let out a quick cough that had been itching at the back of his throat. He carried on afterwards, never giving the first sign a second thought.

===

Javis was breathing heavily, each labored draw beneath the broken ribs excruciating. His fingers and hands were well numb by that point, a dull ache that merely lingered now... The spikes the tiger had driven through his palms to pin him against the door still hurt, but was merely a drop in the bucket at this point. The acting head of the Venatus household never turned his resenting gaze away from the tiger general before him, he would stare him in the eyes until it was over... Another bead of sweat rolled down his back as the door he was nailed to heated ever more from the fire contained just behind it. The Venatus home, was burning... Javis had failed to defend against the attack, the remaining staff were slaughtered and being burned inside the mansion, and he was nailed to the front door as it all collapsed behind him. The general only smiled in delight at his art.

"There is something truly satisfying about starting on a project you've put off for far too long." Javis replied in kind, his voice thick with fatigue.

"Ah, a noble sentiment at last... Pity it is wasted on the likes of you." Reiner Candori laughed loudly at the beaten foe.

"I could say the same for you... I'd much rather see that mongrel you fought so hard to protect pinned to that door instead... But I'll simply have to comfort myself knowing his time is coming as well..." Javis forced a ragged laugh this time, the flames building up around the door more than ever all the while.

"If you think you'll ever reach him so easily-" The general's wicked smile was proudly displayed as he cut the antelope off.

"Oh, I will never reach him... As much as it pains me, I have more pressing concerns than chasing down rodents that believe themselves free to scurry beneath my baseboards... But don't you fret, I wouldn't want you going to the afterworld thinking you'll be separated for long... I'll have him sent to join you shortly. I've chosen quite the messenger for such a task, and the delivery is always promised to be swift. I imagine she should be reaching him within the next few days... You'd be amazed how quickly you can travel with a bloodskill like ours..." Javis hacked out a dying cough, the smoke choking him more and more as his eyes watered from the sting. Even still, even as his back truly started to burn along with that door... Javis flashed a smile to the tiger. His dying words were laced with a mocking tone that infuriated the general to new extents. Reiner Candori wouldn't truly understand what that buck meant by these words for quite some time... But one day soon, he certainly would... Aster was going to make SURE of that...