Succubus School (Wingshadow & I)

[3ngag3]

From what Cyrus understood, the union of these girls seemed to come about as more of a neccessity than anything else. He didn't really know the details of how they were able to grow up together, but regardless of Asuna's detail that succubi generally strayed apart from each other, they all looked like they were close friends. As for their parents, it seemed that they were either unable or unwilling to help due to the girls aggressive battle against the hunters. It was a bit of a sad fact knowing their history and how hard they struggled to survive, but knowing the mindset of parental figures was something that was out of his league, especially when there were succubi involved. It was a fact made clear by Enishi's statement.

"It must be hard...not having the support of your family," Cyrus suddenly replied. "My father walked out on my mother shortly after I was born. To this day, I've never been able to find out why. It led to my mom going out some nights to look for company. If it weren't for Asuna, I would have probably been alone most of the time. Even now, she seems more concerned with finding a place that suits her needs more than mine. That's why I've been moving around a lot these past few years."

 

[Wingshadow]

"Its not really as bad as you make it out to be. We know that our mothers care for us very much," Inui grinned, "Even if they are a bit rough around the edges at times... Keeping a low key is one of the ways they are trying to help us out, after all. The more they use their potent magic, the more Hunters are attracted to the area. That's one of the reasons why most of the fighting is done by young succubi such as us."

"Y-yeah, we used to spend a lot of time playing together as kids," Asuna chimed in, obviously trying to draw the discussion away from that particular topic, "I noticed his mother wasn't home often, but I didn't ask any questions as I knew that everyone has their own family issues and it wasn't exactly my business to ask."

"Your father walked out on your mother, you say, Cyrus?" Sakuya seemed strangely interested, her glasses briefly twinkling with intrigue, "What is your mother's name, if I may ask?"

Asuna suddenly froze up, but didn't speak a word.

 

[3ngag3]

"Eh...my mother?", Cyrus replied in a puzzled manner as to why Sakuya would even consider asking such a question. By the look in her eyes, it was almost as if that dominant part of her personality were trying to peek out though her curiosity. Whatever the case was, the young man decided to answer the question anyway. "Her name is Alma Elma Lacroix. I know, it's a strange name and everything and she probably should have dropped the father's last name, but I kinda like it." He almost looked prideful talking about his family history and his name, but that was only because he felt his name was the most unique thing about him. Sure, there were other interesting things of note about him, but when Cyrus looked himself in the mirror, he saw nothing more than a simple, above average individual with good head on his shoulders and good friends to boot.

 

[Wingshadow]

All of the girls except for Asuna jumped back from him as the words "Alma Elma" left his lips. Sakuya's glasses fell off of her face. Inui turned pale and her right hand grasped at the cement in a nervous fashion. Enishi looked genuinely frightened, her hand grasping the handle of her sword. They all were in pretty bad shape, and for no apparent reason...

Asuna shook her head and sighed, "Cyrus... You really shouldn't have told them that."

"YOU ARE THE SON OF ALMA ELMA H-HERSELF?" Enishi scrambled backward, "Heaven protect me! I had no idea!"

"I... Thought there was something a bit strange about your aura, but that certainly clears up a lot," Sakuya blinked and gave him a slight smile, but anyone could tell from the way the edge of her lips quivered that she was trying hard to maintain her composure.

"Cyrus," Asuna laid a hand on his shoulder, "I'm... Really sorry that I didn't tell you earlier, but... Your mother isn't exactly human."

 

[3ngag3]

What occured next, to Cyrus, seemed like Pandora's box had been open. All of the girls, save for Asuna did a complete backflip once the name of his mother was uttered. Each one had their own little reaction. Enishi, who seemed usually calm and collected from what he could tell, backed away in complete disbelief. Sakuya, who might have usually passed out in a situation like this, complemented him with a sly smile belaying a secret that he himself did not know. Even Kei, who usually had some crude or smart ass remark remained pale and silent. Cyrus couldn't figure why they were freaking out like this until Asuna revealed to him something that at first he could not believe.

"Woah, woah, woah," the young man replied, putting up his hands and acting like someone who just got caught with their hand in a cookie jar. "What's all this now? I think you girls are overreacting a bit here. My mom's just a normal lady. Nothing odd about her. Nothing..." To Cyrus, there had to be a logical explanation for their reaction. Whoever the Alma Elma was that they were thinking about, it couldn't have anything to do with his mother. Yes, it had to be a coincidence that his mother shared the same name. But how to get the girls to believe such a thing? He waited silently after speaking, hoping that they would calm down a bit.

 

[Wingshadow]

"There is no mistaking it, Cyrus," Asuna sighed, "the name Alma Elma is reserved for the most powerful succubus, the one who led the expedition to the human world. She was the only one who had enough power to actually open the gate by herself. She is the one figure that we all respect and many of us fear her as well."

"I'm surprised I didn't notice it earlier," Sakuya seemed to calm down a bit seeing that Cyrus didn't seem eager to punish any of them for their insolence toward him, "But its probably because your latent powers have yet to be fully expressed... No wonder you weren't drowsy or fatigued after the others fed off you. Your magical power stores must be immense."

"Think about it, Cyrus... Your mother isn't just lonesome and trying to find a proper mate, she's feeding off those boyfriends," Asuna smiled, gently pulling him into a hug, "She probably never told you since she doesn't want you to become involved in this whole mess. She probably thought it would be for the best since you seem pretty normal. In fact, when we were young she even asked me to take care of you for her."

Asuna blushed deeply upon revealing that little secret, which caused Sakuya to bend in toward her slightly with interest but saying nothing.

"When succubi fall in love, they become increasingly demanding when it comes to feeding as it also doubles as a bonding ceremony," Sakuya explained, "Chances are that your father either died of old age, or his body just couldn't take the strain of feeding Alma Elma herself and her extremely demanding nature."

 

[3ngag3]

Cyrus was now beginning to grow a little pale himself. The more sense the girls were making about their claim, the more he didn't want to believe it. Even as Asuna brought him into her embrace, his mind was trying to fabricate an excuse, anything that might logically disprove the truth they had laid upon him. But for every theory he came up with, it all came to a dead end in the face of the overwhelming facts. He was indeed the son of a succubus, and not just any normal succubus. No, this was Alma Elma, the supposed 'Most Powerful Succubus' as Asuna put it. The one who would bring the ancestors of these young ladies into the human realm to live and survive in the face of the Hunter menace.

He looked down at his hands then, feeling like he was almost in some kind of foreign body other than his own. If he did have some kind of magical power like Sakuya claimed, then why hadn't it manifested itself like the girls? The only evidence of it seemed to be his unnatural stamina which had proven vital in surviving the feeding process the succubi used to keep themselves healthy. Other than that, he was as human as any other person in this world.

When his father was suddenly mentioned, Cyrus lifted his head up and turned to Sakuya. Though her explanation seemed valid, this one definetley had a response, one which he let out in a sort of subdued tone. "Now that's definetley impossible," he replied, before his voice began to change back to normal. "I absolutely remember the day my father walked out on my mother. I was three years old back then and my dad had put me to bed, but before he did, he whispered something to me about leaving for a long time and possibly never returning. Up until a certain point, I had believed that he was really gone forever. That was until a few months after Asuna and I were seperated. I got a postcard from him saying that he moved in with a new girlfriend and had a child together. They were going to send her to visit me and my mom for a few weeks while they went on some honeymoon vacation or something. I remember being with that girl for that period of time before she left again, so I know he's alive out there somewhere."

 

[Wingshadow]

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Sakuya apologized, "I wasn't trying to jump to conclusions, I just thought that perhaps your mother had simply told you that he had left her in order to make things a bit easier on you... Whatever reason they separated, I'm sure it wasn't about their love life, that much is certain."

"A-anyway, I guess we don't have to worry about draining you dry anymore, now do we?" Asuna chimed in again, trying to lighten the mood. By then, Inui and Enishi seemed to have recovered from their initial shock and were once again able to contribute to the conversation.

"The reason why you seem relatively normal is either due to the fact that you inherited very little of your mother's herritage other than a large magical reserve, which is a possibility," Enishi added, "I find that explaination highly unlikely, however given this is Alma Elma we are talking about and not just some succubus of lackluster lineage like Asuna."

"Hey!" Asuna seemed gravely offended but the sword-wielding succubus simply ignored her.

"If you wish to accept your true nature, we could help you awaken your powers," Enishi offered, her voice completely serious as her eyes slightly narrowed, "However, I ask something in return for my help...Please refrain from punishing me for my previous behavior."

Asuna facefaulted, "He's not that sort of guy, Enishi!"

 

[3ngag3]

It took a little while, but finally, Cyrus had said something that at least one of the girls believed, though by now, they seemed to be treating him more like royalty than a normal human being. And though the idea of being drained without concequence was tantalizing, something still picked at the young man's mind. He listened in on Enishi and though she made a sort of improper crack at Asuna, she made a decent proposal to help him realize and utilize his potential. He then replied promptly, "I appreciate your offer, really. And I'm flattered that you think of me as some kind of roalty figure. But please, don't go out of your way to treat me any differently than you have in the past." It was then, he turned to one side, his gaze on the ground and his cheeks turning slightly red in response to what he was going to say next. "To be honest...I actually kinda liked being used by you girls in that manner." This came out in a sort of low murmur so that none of them could hear, but it was apparent that there was something about them he liked and didn't want to stray from.

After a moment, Cyrus regained his wits and started standing up while speaking again. "I'll tell you what. How about giving me a little time to adjust to this whole thing. It's a lot to take in, after all and once I get used to the idea that I'm different, then I'll accept any help any of you can give me."

 

[Wingshadow]

"Its a deal, then," Enishi bent forward and kissed him on the cheek, smiling as she pulled back, "I'll be waiting, so take as long as you need."

Asuna puffed out her cheeks in annoyance at Enishi's behavior, but did not voice her thoughts on the matter, simply crossing her arms in front of her chest and letting out an audible huff.

"Oh, Asuna's got a rival..." Inui grinned, apparently tickled by the appearance of drama among their ranks, "Then again, everyone knows Enishi's the best when it comes to seal releases and spell breaking."

"Well, putting that aside for the moment there is also something else I wish to discuss with you all," Sakuya's voice grew serious once again, "Concerning the recent Hunter activity... There seems to be a number of them hiding in the nearby city park grounds. No one has been hurt so far, but they have been growing restless. There is no reason I can think of for them to drop their cloaking spells and announce their presence without making a move... I think they are trying to draw us in to a trap, but I can't be certain. Hunters hardly ever exhibit much coordination or thought behind their feeding methods."

"They could be working as a pack," Inui pointed out, "I know wolves and lions hunt in such a fashion."

"Not everyone has quite the same amount of knowledge in that area as you do, so I'll take your word for it," Enishi shrugged.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Inui's eyes narrowed slightly.

"What I am asking is if you all would like to do a bit of investigation beforehand rather than just rush in blindly," Sakuya asked, trying to focus the conversation on the matter at hand.

"I'll go," Inui raised her hand, "I can be stealthy and if things get bad I can always just pull out."

 

[3ngag3]

Cyrus's eyes lit up when Enishi kissed his cheek. Despite his apprehension to want to learn more about his powers, it was clear that she still showed a great interest in him. Whether or not it was because she just wanted to have sex with him again or not was another matter. In the meantime, an ill feeling came over him when he saw Asuna's reaction to the kiss, feeling that perhaps she was more upset with him than she was with the one who actually kissed him. It was only when Sakuya began to explain matters of more importance did he finally calm down and begin to listen in on the conversation.

According to her, there were more of them lurking in a nearby park. While it seemed no humans were harmed, it was clear that their activities were meant to lure out the girls so that they might trap them. and while the girls argued over asthetics, Cyrus began to process this information and come up with his own theory. "Maybe Kei is right," he chimed abruptly. "I mean, I've only seen two of them, but from what I can tell, they act more like beasts than humans. Maybe some of them really have developed a pack mentality." He then turned to Kei and adressed her willingness to go investigate the situation. "You're going alone? I'm pretty sure you're strong and everything, but wouldn't some backup be safer? I mean hell, I'll even come along if it will help."

 

[Wingshadow]

"Really? You would do that for me?" Kei's eyes glistened and she leaned in toward him with a hopeful smile across her lips. The other succubi didn't seem particularly keen on the idea of letting Cyrus accompany her, however. Enishi raised her right eyebrow and said nothing, but it was clear that she did not support the idea. Sakuya pushed up her glasses and cleared her throat, while Asuna looked a bit worried.

"I'm not sure a high-risk operation like that is the best idea for you, since we are still unaware of your true capabilities, however minor or extensive they may be," Enishi pointed out, "but if you are dead set on going with her, by all means go ahead... We really don't have any binding authority over you after all."

"I think you are just afraid of his mother," Sakuya quipped, but Enishi just ignored her.

"Its settled then," Kei hugged Cyus's arm and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, "Meet me after school and we will head over there together. I promise to protect you and all you have to do is keep a sharp eye out for trouble. If I so much as smell trouble I will get us out of there pronto."

 

[3ngag3]

The reaction Cyrus got from the girls wasn't quite what he expected. They might have given him a confused look or two, but none of them seemed to want to complain or even warn him of the dangers of undertaking such a task. Even Enishi's warning didn't seem all that honest to him and she ended up supporting the idea anyway. He knew they believed he was special, but were they so afraid of him that they wouldn't dare go against his wishes if it meant angering his mother in some way? Whatever the case was, he had planned to go whether they wanted him to or not. He was curious to see if Kei's theory was true and he did worry a bit that her wild nature might get her into some trouble. As the girl nuzzled him like a little kitten, he let out a chuckle and replied a bit nervously, "Eh...okay..." There was no doubt that she must have felt a lot of joy having him to herself. He only hoped that Asuna would understand that this relationship would be strictly business and not pleasure like Kei might be thinking at this time.

Some time later...

The final school bell had rung and the classes were out for the day. Cyrus was waiting out front for Kei, leaning against a wall. He probably should have told her that he wanted to stop at home and get some of those medical supplies, but it was probably too late to do so now as she probably wanted to dive right into the situation like Sakuya had joked earlier. Hopefully though, she would prove to be reliable just like she claimed she would be and get him out of any danger should the need arise. About ten more minutes passed and the young man was now beginning to grow a bit impatient. "Where the hell is she?" he muttered to himself as he tapped his foot along the ground.

 

[Wingshadow]

"Oi, Cyrus-kun!" Kei finally ran up to him a short while later, kicking up clouds of dust as she sprinted over to where he was standing, "I'm sorry I was so late... My practice went on a lot longer than I thought it would."

The girl hardly even seemed out of breath, and her smile was as pristine and glamorous as a bright spring day. She folded her hands behind her back in a shy manner as she rocked her hips and swayed her body back and forth a bit, trying to look cute enough that he wouldn't be upset. Perhaps this was her way of flirting... It was hard to say since she hardly showed much interest in boys up to this point.

 

[3ngag3]

"Finally!" Cyrus let out from under his breath as he saw Kei running up to him in a hasteful manner. As usual, she didn't seem to break a sweat in getting here where as most athletic men would be exhausted with the ammount of effort she put forth in her activities. Though he was a bit annoyed with her tardiness, her charming demeanor seemed to calm his nerves and eventually, his grievances went away completely. Now he could concentrate on the mission at hand and in all honesty, he was a bit excited go be going on a real mission...even if it was with only one of the girls. "Well, whatever," he said then in a calm manner as he straightened himself out and readied himself. "Let's get going. I wanna stop by my place and pick up some of that medical stuff that I brought along last time. Not that I don't trust your ability or anything, but I think it would cover all our bases if we were fully prepared. And since these hunters don't seem to want to come out during the day, I think we have plenty of time on our hands."

And with that, Cyrus began walking down the street towards the path that would lead to his house. Hopefully, Kei would understand what he was doing and follow close behind. In fact, with her infatuation towards him, he was sorta expecting it. If there was at least one benefit to being descended from a powerful succubus, it was that your friends would keep you as close to them as possible.

 

[Wingshadow]

"Sure thing, but I think we would be fine either way. I'm pretty sturdy after all," Kei smiled and pounded her chest twice.

As Cyrus expected, Inui kept close by his side, practically attached to his hip as she followed him without question. Although she had been quite forward with her desires just the day before, she seemed to have mellowed out for the time being, contenting herself with looking up at him and making cheerful faces at him as they walked. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the road, but even so the burnt orange colors in which it bathed the world around them did not damper the mood in the slightest... In a strange sort of way, Kei was almost treating this outing as a date, especially with how she kept giving him such affectionate glances.

 

[3ngag3]

The road to Cyrus's house was quite beautiful during the autum season. The burnt red and orange leaves were littered along the ground, occasionally being carried by the wind. And though the seasons were changing, it was still unusually warm for this time of month. In essence, it seemed the perfect place for couples to take a nice, relaxing hike and based on how Kei was clinging to Cyrus like a lovesick puppy, it seemed that they were the perfect couple for this kind of environment. Of course, the young man didn't feel particularly the same as the girl did. Sure, he enjoyed having a girl at his side, but knowing what he knew, he kept cautious about the whole thing. Who knew when Kei would decide to get frisky again and try to jump him like in the shed at school or when a Hunter would suddenly pop out and attack them.

It wasn't much longer before the 'couple' arrived at their destination. Cyrus got up to the front door and tried to open it only to find that it was locked from the outside, a sign that his mother wasn't home again. If what the girls thought was true, she was probably out looking for some company of her own, a thought that made the young man feel hurt for some reason. But whatever the case, he quickly unlocked the door with his house key and turned to Kei before going in. "Stay out here a second. I won't be long," he said, worrying about the possible scenario that his mother would actually be home at this time prompting an unusual meeting between succubi of vastly different lineage.

When he got inside, Cyrus went straight to his room, finding the backpack that he brought with him the previous night he went out to see the girls in action. Fortunatley, he hadn't unpacked it since then and everything was still where it was save for the few bandages he used to patch up Enishi. With everything in order, he went back out and took one last look around to make absolutely sure that his mother wasn't home before meeting up with Kei again. "Alright. Let's get going," he said before locking the door and starting his way back down the path.

 

[Wingshadow]

Kei waited patiently for Cyrus to return, leaning against the front gate to his house while looking down at her feet. Even though it did not take long, she had quite a lot to think about. Who was Cyrus to her? Was he simply a source of outlet for her sexual needs, or was there more to him? She was quite fond of him, but fondness and love where two very different matters. Also, even if she did feel that way about him, would his mother give her blessing to the two of them? She had kept her true nature and lineage a secret from her own son, and she could not have made that decision lightly nor for no reason at all. Kei didn't want to trample on his mother's wishes or judgement lightly...

Before she was able to come to any definite answer to any of these questions, however, Cyrus re-appeared and began making his way down the path toward the park. She hurried to his side, smiling and trying to put on the same cheerful disposition as before, although it was significantly less genuine than before.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the park, which looked normal enough to the eye but the entire atmosphere felt off... The wind blew briskly, almost ominously as it roughly rustled the leaves of the large oak trees. It was one of those old parks in which old folks played chess and small groups of young people would get together to play catch, kick-the-can, and jog along the trails. On this particular afternoon, however, there was no one at all in the park... It was completely devoid of any sound or sign of life other than the plants and trees. Kei reached out and took Cyrus's hand and led him forward, giving him a reassuring grin as they stepped into the wide shadow of the trees, heading down one of the main trials... Unseen by either of them, however, a pair of glowing red eyes watched them in absolute silence from the shadows.

They wandered the paths for some time without Kei noticing anything particularly off, yet the deeper they went the more uneasy she began to behave, "Its strange... I don't remember all these paths. Perhaps there are some new ones that they cleared recently?"

She glanced behind them, but could not see nor sense a single presence other than themselves, "Why can't I sense them... I know they are out here somewhere, but they are not leaving any traces of themselves behind. Its like they are not here at all... I can't even smell the lingering scent of concealment spells."

 

[3ngag3]

Even as he stepped foot in the park, Cyrus could feel that something was a bit off. Maybe it was due to its history which he knew was quite extensive. As a child, he would come here with Asuna and play on occasion while the seniors played chess or remminisced about old times. Apparently, this land had been around for hundreds of years and had gone through several extenstions and rennovations during its tenure. On bright and sunny days, it would be bustling with activity with kids playing in the sandboxes while their parents watched and the older crowd would play baseball on the finely constructed field and on rainy days, it would be so empty and devoid of life that it would seem like a cemetery where someone had recently died and the sky wept in lamentation.

Today should have been the former, even with the sun slowly starting to set. There should have been laughing children. stoic old people and animals and birds frolicking in the trees. But there was none of this now. Only silence save for the trees and the wind. It made Cyrus a little nervous being here, but with Kei offering her hand to his and giving him an eager, reassuring grin, he felt a bit of that uncertainty fade and thus, took her embrace so that they would go forth and discover what possible terrors laid in store for them.

They ventured forth along a path that even Cyrus had not taken before. Though the young man had confidence that Kei knew where she was going, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous traveling this unknown road to god knows where. Then she, herself began to behave in an odd manner, almost as if she were lost. He stopped briefly to look around and gaze upon these paths she spoke of. Each one seemed to lead to nowhere and everywhere at once and yet he had this ill feeling that all would lead to darkness. Cyrus turned back to Kei then and spoke with a bit of nervousness in his voice, "Wait a minute. This can't be right. How did we get lost like this? Aren't you supposed to be good at tracking and hiking and whatnot?"

The more Kei continued to speak, however, the more he began to feel that something was terribly wrong here. These paths, this wind, this uneasy feeling of terror. It all felt planned...predetermined, like a trap of some kind. Cyrus began to back up closer to her until their backs touched. The wind began to swirl ominously as if the two of them were surrounded by some unseen force. The feeling of terror was beginning to make the young man a little queasy inside as he turned to the girl and spoke in a bit of a soft tone. "You get the feeling we're being watched right now?"

 

[Wingshadow]

"You can feel it too, can't you?" Kei nodded, "I can't tell what direction they are, or even if they are actually watching us... But my entire body is on alert, but I have no idea what they are trying to do by concealing themselves in such a manner. Its like they aren't even there at all, which is scarier than anything I have ever experienced before."

The succubus' pupils shrank and she abruptly shoved Kei down onto the ground. A mere instant later, the tree behind them fell apart, sliced through dozens of times by unseen blades. She turned slightly pale and helped him back up to his feet, not speaking a word. They both doubtless knew what had just almost happened.

She reached out and took his hand, guiding him back down the path they had taken to get where they currently were, but the further they went the more unfamiliar the path became, "I don't understand... Its like we aren't even in the same park anymore. I know this place like the back of my hand, but everything is new. I don't remember these trees or these rocks... The bends that shouldn't exist in a path that shouldn't exist."

Kei clung to Cyrus' shoulders, her entire body shivering with fear as she gazed out at the seemingly lifeless forest all around them... Yet, the forest was alive and had eyes, eyes that desired their freshly split blood. She looked up at him with worry and loss, wondering what they should do. If they stayed put, they were prime targets, but even if they moved they never seemed to get anywhere than deeper into the hunter's clutches.

"They are trying to wear us down... They know they can't beat us in a direct confrontation, so they are trying to break our wills," Kei whispered to him, "We need to find a way to lure them out, or we are going to go crazy before they show themselves."

 

[3ngag3]

The attack came silently and without warning. Only Kei, with her sharpened senses was able to detect the attack and push Cyrus to the ground just seconds before a nearby tree was ripped to shreds. The sound was so violent and unexpected that the young man covered his head in fear of having it removed from the rest of his body. Before he could even recover, the girl had taken him by the hand and led him away from the area hoping to escape their pursuers. Further and further they travelled and it didn't take long for the young man to realize what the girl did before him: the path itself had somehow changed into something unfamiliar and confusing to the senses. For all intents and purposes, they were lost in this maze of roads and trees, seemingly with no way out.

They finally stopped to rest, though with the forest coming alive as it seemed to do, there would be little of that going on until whoever, or whatever wanted them dead was stopped permanentley. Kei had taken hold of Cyrus's shoulder and at first, he thought that she had become exhausted from their escape, which under normal circumstances would be impossible. But these weren't normal circumstances and when Cyrus turned to hear her words, his heart began to sink a bit. She was just as, if not more so nervous and scared than he was. To him, this wasn't a good thing. How would she be able to defend herself, let alone him in this psychological state of hers? If she was freaking out this bad, there would be little chance of surviving their pursuers due to the fact that her mind wasn't in the game. He had to calm her down somehow and the first thing he did was take her hand into his as it rested upon his shoulders.

"Calm down, Kei," the young man started, his voice trying to remain as calm as possible despite the situation. "Let's use the time we have to think. Somehow, they're able to change the paths around in order to confuse us. If we can figure out how they're doing it, then perhaps we can set a trap of our own to lure them out." Cyrus's eyes began to scan the surrounding area, trying to find any sign of their enemies or any clue as to how they were manipulating the paths they had taken. It was simply impossible that they could conceal themselves this well and not leave behind any trace of their whereabouts.

 

[Wingshadow]

"C-calm down?" Kei repeated his words, albeit with more than a hint of sarcasm, "How can we stay calm when they are right out there looking at us right now, just waiting for us to drop our guard? They are trying to eat us, Cyrus, and if we don't find some way of detecting where they are it will just be a matter o time before they find what they are looking for. I think that attack earlier was just a test, but the next one might be real... I'm trying to look for any signs, but the harder I look the more I realize that there is simply nothing that I can detect, nothing but..."

She paused blinking as she turned once more toward their surroundings, "Why didn't I see it before... They are hiding their tracks too well. All we have to do is disrupt the area around us so that when they move they will set everything back into order when they move. The forest around us is too perfect, almost like a garden."

"I'm not sure if we have stepped into some alternate dimension or if this is all just a vast illusion of some sort, but they did too well of a job making everything just right," Kei managed to smile despite the tension in the air, "Lets ruffle their fur a bit, shall we?"

She bent down and picked up a rather large rock, hurling it toward a shrub and breaking some of its branches in the process, soon followed by others as she began throwing stones around them in a fairly random pattern, hitting the trees and flowers and bushes without relent.

 

[3ngag3]

Kei's sarcasm was noted by Cyrus, though he didn't like the way she was treating him like he had no idea what was going on. But with the situation they were in, she did have a point. These things could see them, but they couldn't see them back and it was just infuriating. Then Kei make an observation that he suddenly realized he overlooked. However these things were moving around, they should have clearly left some trace of their presence. Since they act more like beasts than man, there would be no way they could have the intelligence to cover their tracks so well. Thus, he was led to conclude the same as Kei. Someone, or something was affecting the area around them. It was like they were in some kind of rat maze being led around like puppets for the enjoyment of a higher power of sorts.

This realization made Cyrus a bit angry and with a little coersion from Kei, he was more than willing to 'ruffle some fur' as she so elequently put it. While she was throwing stones and disturbing the nearby shrubbery, he decided to go a different route. He began going along the trees, kicking them several times so that the leaves would snap and fall off along with some of the weaker branches. It left the path messy and disturbed and also served as a tool to use against these Hunters. If the trees themselves were being repaired by the illusion or whatever was altering the space around them, they might not be keen enough to remove the debris from the ground along with repairing the trees. Whatever would walk by here would leave a clear and visible print for which to follow.

 

[Wingshadow]

(I'm really sorry about how long its taken me to reply)

Rocks flew and leaves rustled as the two continued to make a mess of the area around them. Kei began to notice that some of the debris didn't fall quite right, as if it was hitting something before landing onto the ground. Short, muffled sounds started to issue from the trees and bushes, and the world around them began to fizzle and spark as if the entire world around them were suffering from interference such as static on the television. Kei froze up and held a rather large rock in one hand as she ducked, a swish cleaving where her head had been mere moments before. She quickly thew the rock in the direction of the blow, and a sharp yelp assured her that she had hit her intended target. The wolf-like creature, smaller in mass than a human yet as nimble as a fox, appeared for but a moment before vanishing.

"They are getting agitated," Kei smiled, "It shouldn't be long now... Stay on your guard, since I am going to go all-out against them and I probably won't have time to worry about protecting you while I am fighting them. They are desperate, after all."

All at once, a dozen or so of the hunters dropped their camoflague and leaped toward Kei. She slid under the first and kicked it square in the stomach, punching the third in the face, grabbing it, and hurling it into two more. She continued to fight continuously, chaining one attack to the next as they rained down one after the other upon her. Soon, however, it was becoming clear that there were far too many for her to handle at once as some began to bite down on her arms and legs before she could land crushing blows upon their chests or heads. Kei started to pull back from them, trying to use one fo the trees to shield her from their slices and bites, but before long she found herself knocked down and strugglign to maintain her footing as they continued to assult her.

"G-get out of here, Cyrus," Kei shouted to him as she caught one by the jaws and swung it around, using its body as a bludgeoning weapon against the others, "I... I can't keep this up much longer. The illusion should be weak enough for you to escape, so GO!"

Just then, another one of the wolf-like creatures jumped over her sweeping attack and latched onto her shoulder, breaking the skin and causing a stream of crimson to flow down her body. Another one broke threw her defenses at almost the same time, biting down on her ankle and causing her to fall down once more. She knew it was practically over... There were simply too many of them.

"K-kei... kun..." she whimpered as her eyesight started to become clouded, "Go..."

 

[3ngag3]

Their plan was working. The disturbances they were causing to the landscape was having an adverse effect on the whole area. It seemed to moan in pain before distorting like an image on a television. It was a clear confirmation that the world around them was not natural and a product of someone or something else beyond its borders. Despite this, however, the enemies had not yet shown their faces until Cyrus heard a loud yelp behind him. Kei had struck one of them with a rock. When he turned around, he caught the brief image of the creature before it vanished from sight again. As the girl warned him to keep on his guard, the young man's body began to tense up. He knew that they would be in for a fight and despite these things having an appetite for succubi, he had this gut feeling that human flesh would be a suitable second course.

Then they came. Like swarm, they descended upon the duo. Their bodies were slender and beastly and they walked on all fours. Their heads resembled that of wolves, a suitable appearance for a hunting species for this kind of environment. While Cyrus was gripped with uneasiness and confusion, Kei had no qualms about jumping into the horde and going all out. Their numbers were many, but he knew Kei was strong. She could probably take them all out if she really wanted to. This thought kept him from helping, but as the battle raged on, he was beginning to regret this descision. More and more came down now, their wrath fully focused on the feisty young succubus who challenged them. Their numbers were beginning to overwhelm her, which was made apparent by the bites and scratches she was sustaining all over her body. Soon, she was retreating from her brave stance and looking for shelter from the savage beasts, but shelter did little to keep them from her and soon, she was down and pleading with Cyrus to get away. But in the eyes of Cyrus, there was a friend in need. He felt if he was capable of protecting Asuna, then why not Kei. They had become close in their short time together in more ways than one and such a short taste of that friendship was enough to drive him to have more.

So the young man charged forth, taking a split branch in his hand to use as a weapon. He didn't think of how sharp the point was or how effective it would be against these hunters, but if it was capable of driving them back even in the slightest, he would throw himself willingly into the fray. The hunters, however, had other ideas. Three of them had taken notice of Cyrus and stood before him like an impassible wall. As he cried Kei's name and charged forth, the one standing in the center took a swing at him and struck a critical blow. Without the strength of a succubus to support him, Cyrus was just a normal and weak human. In reality, he stood no chance against even one of these creatures. The young man fell back, the proof of injury inscribed upon his chest. His blood dripped forth from the wounds as he lay on the ground, his mind wandering between conciousness. With the rest occupied with Kei, the hunter who struck the mortal wound walked forth to take its prize.

"What are you doing?"

In his dire state, Cyrus heard a voice from within his mind. And he replied in turn, "I...I can't help her. I'm worthless. We're gonna die here and..."

The voice interupted, "Are you really so weak?" it was almost a challenging tone to Cyrus. Here he was on the verge of death and he was hallucenating this mocking voice. "What can I do? I'm just a human."

"Are you now? Let me show you just how human you really are..."

The voice seemed to fade and as it did, a sinister aura surrounded the area. The hunter stopped in its tracks, almost aware of the danger that was coming forth. Cyrus could feel something pulsing in his body. It was like an uncontrollable surge of energy consuming him, taking over his every movement. He could see and hear everything around him and yet he could feel his conciousness being pushed to the side in place of something more powerful and with a greater sense of control. The young man stood up, the blood on his chest flowing slower and slower until it stopped. He opened his eyes revealing an inhuman gaze like that of a demon. It's first sight was that of Kei being torn apart by the hunters. Her blood flowed freely and she was brought to her knees by their terrible fangs and claws. At once, he reacted with a roar that was just as, if not, more terrifying. The voice rippled through the air like a shockwave, disturbing the fur of the hunters and of the area itself. Everything seemed to shake and distort around him as if it were becoming unstable. The hunters, perhaps aided by their natural animalistic instincts suddenly cowered and backed away. The ones that had taken their death grip of Kei released her and joined their frightened allies. Cyrus stepped forth now as the aggressor but did not yet attack. It was almost as if he were waiting for something, perhaps for the alpha male of the pack to come forth and challenge his unstable mind and body...