Night Terrors

Seiya threw himself down on the ground behind an uprooted tree. His weight made the smell of rot fly up from the moist earth. In his left hand he gripped the pommel of his sword, although he feared that his sweaty palms would cause the weapon to fly from his grasp should he actually have to use it. His right hand grasped Kaira's, and as she fell beside him he gave her hand an extra squeeze.

“Where is he?” Kaira gasped, her breath coming out in a cloud against the cold air.

Seiya’s heart pounded. He too gasped for air, but it was so cold that it tore through his raw throat with each breath he took.

“I don’t know,” he rasped.

“And,” said the girl, her voice quivering, “and Javin?”

Seiya did not want to say it. He knew that Javin could not have survived Rolf’s attack. His grief threatened to envelope him, but he could not give in to it just yet. Rolf would not linger over his first kill. Javin had only been an obstacle, not the target.

The wind blew heavily through the trees. There had been no snow yet this winter, but the trees had gone to sleep long ago. Now the forest was entirely composed of black, lifeless shells that groaned and rattled with each gust of wind.

They heard rustling, and Seiya yanked on Kaira's arm, pulling her closer to the ground. She held her breath, staring wide-eyed into the gloom. Seiya breathed as quietly as he could, swallowing his saliva which had grown cold as he gulped for air.

The rustling grew more audible, and Seiya imagined Rolf’s measured gait as he searched for them.

His palm was slick against Kaira's and his fingers were beginning to cramp, but he did not let go and neither did she. He felt something hot drip onto his skin, and he turned to see silent tears stream down Kaira's face. It left trails on her cheeks as it passed through the dark dirt of the forest that caked their bodies. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to tell her it would be all right, but he dared not make a sound.

“Sssssseiyyya.”

The hissing voice sent an involuntary shudder through Seiya’s spine. With her free hand Kaira grabbed onto Seiya’s shirt.

“Sssssseiyyya,” the voice called again, no louder than if it had been talking over a baby in a cradle. “Where have you gone? You and the little lady can’t hide from me.”

Then there was a shout, a deafening crack, and the tortured sound of a great tree splintering as it fell to the ground. The earth shook upon the impact.

Seiya carefully reached over with his sword hand and laid it on Kaira's shoulder to comfort her. Rolf was mad, insane. His need for revenge had twisted him so far that he had become little better than an animal.

“Come out, Seiya, I don’t want to play games.”

They had to move, but they could not be seen.

Seiya used his trolleri to impress the move into Kaira's mind. She knew the touch of his thoughts well enough now to know it was him. She did not look at him but gave a barely perceptible nod. Seiya looked at the ground. It was covered with the dead and rotting leaves of the slumbering trees. There was no way they would not be heard, but perhaps a distraction would save them.

Seiya cast out a winding thread of trolleri several meters behind them, and immediately he heard the rustle of scattering leaves. Rolf took the bait and chased after the sound, and Seiya and Kaira took the chance to run.

Their window of chance was only open for a second. Rolf realized the trick and let out a barking laugh as he began to chase them down.

The damp leaves were slick, but the dry ones on top were noisy. Seiya cast out his gaze and his trolleri in desperate search of another hiding place. He could find nothing. Rolf was gaining. He would be in sight in mere seconds.

Once again Seiya dragged Kaira to the ground, this time out in the open. Her terrified look pierced his heart, but he sheathed his sword and pulled her as close to him as he could. The air around them shimmered for a second, and Kaira's face grew even more concerned. She had seen this before.

“But you’ll use so much energy,” she said.

He shushed her. Rolf was getting closer. Kaira froze. She knew it would be easier on Seiya if she did not move.

When he came into full view Seiya had to make an effort not to get up and run again. Rolf looked wild. His eyes were wide and glowed with the pale light of the waning moon, and a manic grin broke his face nearly in half. Rolf stopped when he heard the sounds of their retreat vanish and he tilted his head, listening to the wind.

A bird hastily took flight from the tree closest to Kaira and Seiya. Rolf lifted a hand to the bird and curled his fingers into claws. With a strangled cry, the bird crumpled in on itself and fell to the ground in a mangled mess, not to move again.

Kaira trembled and buried her head into Seiya’s shoulder. He grimaced at the effort her small movement cost him, and at the same moment Rolf’s head snapped in their direction.

“That trick again, Seiya? It’s one of your favorites, isn’t it? Move the air all you want. You may be able to fool my eyes, but you can’t fool my trolleri.” Rolf slowly approached. He did not know where Kaira and Seiya were hiding, but Seiya could feel him probing the area with his trolleri. It would not be long before he found them, and they could not run anymore.

Rolf came closer, his trolleri hitting ever nearer his mark. He had taken up his soft hissing again, but it was more of a chant this time as he called over and over, “Sssssseiyyya. Sssssseiyyya.”

Seiya had no choice. If Kaira was going to get out alive, he would have to fight his old friend. It was him he wanted, after all.

He sent the message to Kaira's mind, entreating her to run as soon as he raised the veil. Her eyes lifted to his and as her one word of protest escaped her lips, Seiya removed the veil that hid them from Rolf’s sight. With one motion he stood, pushing Kaira away from him, and he drew his sword.

The rapturous glee with which Rolf met him sent a wave of nausea through Seiya as their swords met in the air.

“So you decided to be a man,” Rolf said. “I’m so glad. It will make my victory much sweeter.”

Seiya tried to pull the breath from his enemy’s lungs, but as he summoned the reserves of his energy he felt a sharp pain in both legs and heard two sickening cracks. He screamed and nearly blacked out as he fell to the ground.

“Seiya!” he heard Kaira's agonized scream. Her voice was the only thing that kept him from falling into darkness.

“Don’t bother, sweet lady,” Rolf purred. “He won’t be getting up any time soon. I’ve just broken the strongest bones in his body, and I can tell you that neither one were in his spine.” He made his way to her.

“Kaira!” Seiya cried. “Kaira, run!”

But she did not run. She stood, pale and alone, as Rolf approached her. Her gaze slipped from Seiya to Rolf. She did not even move when Rolf gently moved a lock of her hair from her face and set it gently behind her ear.

“She is smarter than you are, Seiya,” Rolf said. “She knows she cannot run from her fate.”

“Don’t touch her!” Seiya screamed. He tried to use his trolleri to protect her, but he could not clear his mind of the pain. Nothing he could do would stop Rolf anyway. Rolf was Seiya’s prefect predator, and Seiya was the perfect prey.

Rolf cupped Kaira's face softly and wiped a tear from beneath her eye. “Don’t cry anymore, good lady. There’s no need for that now.”

Kaira pulled away from him, but Rolf grabbed her face and pulled her into a violent kiss.

“No!” Seiya screamed.

Kaira pushed away from Rolf, but he was too strong for her. Within seconds her skin began to bubble and there was a distinct sizzling sound. Her shrieks broke the quiet of the forest and echoed through the naked trees as Rolf let her fall away. She hit the ground on her knees. By then her skin was covered with angry, red blisters. She slumped over with a last cry as she burned from the inside out. Her eyes fell on Seiya, then she ceased to move.

“Kaira!” Seiya’s tears blinded him and he fumbled for the sword he had dropped. Grief and rage spilled over him and his body grew hot. Rolf leisurely made his way back over to where Seiya lay.

He stopped just out of Seiya’s reach and gave him a contemptuous grin. “Even after all that time you never did get to kiss her, did you?” He licked his lips. “Such a pity.”

“Bastard!” Seiya cried. “You cowardly sow’s bastard! I’ll kill you!”

Rolf shifted the sword in his hand. “On the contrary, I believe I am going to kill you, and it won’t be as quickly as your two friends. I’m going to take my time. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it, you know, and I’m going to make this moment last.”

He swung the sword, and the blow caught Seiya in the chest, slicing open his flesh.

Seiya jolted into a sitting position, a scream wrenching its way out of his mouth. His body was dripping with sweat, and his heart was racing. It took him a second to realize why everything was dark and another few seconds for him to realize where he was. He tore away the sticky sheets and let his legs dangle of the edge of his bed. He gripped his mattress as he let the air from the open window waft over him and cool his body. His breathing still had not subsided.

He heard a familiar chortle and felt an extra weight on his bed, followed by the pressure of a furry head on his shoulder. He reached up and absently petted Hana on the head. She hated when he woke up in the night. Night was a sacred time for her, and it was to be observed by uninterrupted peace and sleep.

Seiya stooped and rested his elbows on his thighs, letting his head drop into his hands with a loud groan.

Hana sniffed at his face and licked at the salty tears that escaped through his fingers. She was the only one who ever heard his sobs.