Forsaken Pt. 02: Natures

"Eric had great respect for you."

"And I for him...I respect him for taking a chance and finding his happiness with you." He said.

"You are truly beautiful...and strong of will...I can see why he loved you."

She blushed, all of a sudden feeling her nakedness, "Thank you..."

He nodded slightly and began another kata. As he practiced, he felt something inside him welling up. When he stopped, it fell. He sheathed his sword, closed his eyes and curled one hand over the closed fist of the other. In his mind. a picture of an eye opening appeared, a ruby red eye, with a black pupil, a pupil slitted like a reptile's.

Alana watched him, feeling whatever power was buried in him awakening and forcing it's way to the surface. "So much power...who is he?" She asked herself. With a body wracking shudder, Yoshi's eyes snapped open and something dark and cold swept over his face. For a moment his face altered, but so fast that Alana couldn't be sure.

"Yoshi?" She whispered.

His head swung around and her eyes widened. His eyes were a deep red, his pupils slitted. His mouth opened and a high pitched whine issued from it. Then it was gone, he was just Yoshi again. Eyes blank, he just stood there, staring through her.

"Yoshi." She said, getting up and walking to him. As she reached out to touch him, he folded and fell to the ground. She kneeled by him and laid a hand on his forehead. His eyes fluttered, but didn't open.

"What are you, Yoshi?" She asked him softly.

"Hmmm...another of your...human lovers, Lucrecia?" Leviathan asked her, his voice full of contempt.

Alana stood and confronted him. He grabbed her wrists and lifted her from the ground.

She screamed in rage as he kissed her throat and slowly slid his mouth down, till he buried his face in the valley of her breasts. She kicked at him, but could get no real strength behind them.

"Let...her...go!" Yoshi yelled.

Without moving his face, Leviathan said, "Leave us...or you'll regret it."

Alana growled and changed. With a vicious jerk, she pulled her wrists free from Leviathan, who was staring at her in amazement. She lunged, throwing her massive weight into him. With a grunt, he fell. Alana brought her jaws down, but he kicked her off.

"What the hell?" He exclaimed.

Staring at Alana in her werewolf guise, he never heard Yoshi unsheathe his sword. With never a sound, Yoshi's sword plunged into Leviathan's back, to burst from his chest. He looked down at the blade and stepped forward, till the sword slipped from it's hole.

Yoshi swung again, but this time Leviathan sidestepped it and kicked Yoshi in the knee, snapping bone. With a cry, Yoshi fell onto his back. Alana jumped and raked Leviathan's back with her claws.

"I don't know how you id it, Lucrecia...but it matters not." He shot a fist out and smashed her in the face. "After this, you'll be mine again."

"No...she won't..."

Leviathan turned and stepped back as Yoshi stood, his broken knee seeming to reknit.

With a high screech, Yoshi's eyes changed again, then his face contorted and elongated. Leviathan charged him, swinging a fist at his face, but Yoshi caught it in one of his and squeezed, crunching the bones in Leviathan's hand. For the first time, Leviathan felt pain.

From behind him, Alana growled and changed back. She ran to them and stopped as

Yoshi grabbed hold of Leviathan, lifted him over his head and threw him. Leviathan landed a few yards away.

"Alana...I do not know what is happening to me...I can not be sure I will not hurt you..." He said through clenched teeth.

"You will not." She said to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever is happening to you, do not fight it...allow it to take hold, only that way will you be in control."

He nodded and closed his eyes. He began to grow larger, his legs lengthened, his hands sprouted talons and his skin hardened, then began turning into scales. Alana began to step back, but he caught her arm.

"You were right, I am in control." His voice was sibilant and raspy.

"I don't know what you are...but I will not be denied!" Leviathan yelled.

Turning to him, Yoshi snarled, "I have no intention of letting you take her."

Laughing, Leviathan pointed his hands at Yoshi, fingers splayed, and the ground shook and fell away under him. But Yoshi remained where he was, floating in the air. Leviathan bellowed and the air began to swirl, then the sky filled with clouds.

"Now!" He yelled, the clouds parted and a blade of black lightening shot down and engulfed Yoshi.

Alana brought her hands up, index, middle and thumb of each hand extended, palms facing each other. She grimaced as a beam of dark blue shot out and struck Leviathan. He screamed and lost his concentration. The black lightening faded out and Yoshi strode forward, his dark wings unfolding, opened his mouth and a searing lance of heat struck Leviathan.

Leviathan was flung back under the beating of the attacks. Alana ran to him and began searching him. She pulled something out of an inside pocket. She stood, flinging an arm out. She held a glowing orb in her hand.

"Is he dead?" Yoshi asked, walking to her side. He was back to normal, all traces of the creature he had been gone.

"Not yet..." She responded, then lifted her other hand towards Leviathan's head and clenched it into a fist. The sound of cracking bones filled the air as Leviathan's body contorted into obscene positions, then she snapped her hand open and his head exploded. "Now, he is."

Yoshi only nodded.

*****

She stood over Eric's body with Yoshi at her side. They were in the warehouse. It was early morning of the following day. She lifted the orb in one hand, her lips moving in silent prayer. She threw the orb to the ground, where it shattered, releasing a fog like substance. The fog hovered in the air before Alana, then fell upon Eric's body. After several minutes, Eric coughed and struggled to sit up. Alana laid a hand on his chest and he fell back, smiling at her.

"Alana..."

"My love..." She whispered to him and kissed his lips.

"Where...?" He asked.

"Your in the old 'way station,' Eric." Yoshi said. His voice was troubled, subdued.

"Yoshi?"

"Yes."

Eric sat up, with Alana supporting him, "I feel weak."

"It will pass, my love." She assured him. "What do you remember?"

"I...remember staring at the fire when something behind me brought me around. Then nothing." He answered.

"Well, it doesn't matter any more, my friend...Alana saved you."

"With Yoshi's help...I doubt I could have beaten Leviathan by myself." She said, giving Yoshi a worried look. He only returned her gaze with a stoic expression.

"Home..." Eric said.

"Uh..." Alana faltered.

"We'll get you two a real home...no more hiding in the wilderness." Yoshi said, smiling for the first time since the night before, remembering what Alana had done to their camp in her pain.

"Thank you, Yoshi...you are indeed a good friend." Eric said.

"Yes." Alana added. She stood and embraced Yoshi, then looked into his face. "You are a good friend...don't turn away from us if you need help." She kissed his cheek.

"You two are also good friends..." He responded, giving Alana a warm smile. "...and I may come to you...I will need your help with my...problem."

"It is no problem, Yoshi...it's who and what you are." She told him.

"That's the problem, if I'm not who I thought I was, then who am I?" He asked her. He turned from her. "Stay here till I can get you a place." And with that, he walked away.

"What was that all about?" Eric asked.

Instead of replying, she looked after Yoshi, a tear sliding down her cheek, "I hope you will find your answers, my friend..." She whispered.

Yoshi looked back at her, his face already changing. He waved to her, unfurled his wings and was in the air and gone.