A Betrayal (18.07.2012)

[Seema Tara]

Today was the day that it all came to an end. Seema took a deep breath as she led Kurai through the forest towards Seirei's den. They were a few hundred yards away from the door and they could already hear raised voices. Seema couldn't have hoped for better timing - it'd make it easy to get this started. She just had to hope Kiryu kept his promise, otherwise things would get messy.

"Stay here." she said to Kurai, indicating a large area of brush he could hide behind. "When I say "Let's go have some fun at Aunt Seema's house" to the pups, that means they're all out and Tersias is gone. Wait until we're clear of the den, and then he's all yours. But remember what we agreed - you don't touch Tersias, and you don't touch any of the pups. Just Seirei." Her tone was serious.

[Kurai Hisakata]

Kurai could hardly believe the time had finally come. It almost felt surreal as he carefully picked his way through the forest foliage as he and Seema made their way towards the target. He was a little indignant at Seema speaking to him like she was his superior, the way she told him to stay like a common mutt, but he held his tongue. She had taken him this far, and he needed her just a little longer.

"Yes, yes, cross my heart, stick a needle and all that," Kurai grinned. It was a shame, the pups would make such a nice after-battle victory meal. "Well, at any rate, it sounds like you've stirred something, whatever you did. Now it's time. Go on." He pushed her in the direction of the den entrance tunnel.

[Seema Tara]

Seema headed towards the den. Seirei and Tersias' voices were clearly audible as they bawled to and fro. She paused before going in, it felt wrong, but she had to. She had to.

Seema's entrance was dramatic and her tone was authoritative. She looked from the stunned, and quite embarrassed, Seirei to the suddenly timid Tersias, as the two of them broke apart when she walked in. "Ok, if you two are gonna do this, do it properly. Tersias, go take a walk and cool off. I will take the pups to my house and then you two can talk about this like grown-ups." She was using her best military tones, and cut quite the commanding figure.

[Seirei Hisakata]

"... and I HAVE to go out, you know I do!" Seirei bellowed down at his equally furious mate. "Hiruko said we all had to take turns on patrol. This world isn't going to defend itself, you know!" Both Seirei and Tersias had been arguing for almost an hour now, the pups sitting in their room with the door shut, as they had been told to. Tersias was angry that Seirei had wanted to go out when she needed him at the den to help take care of the pups, who were so energetic she could not handle all five at once, especially with her small size.

Seema could not have come at a worse time, in Seirei's opinion, or maybe she should have. A few more minutes and the couple would have been at each other's throats. "Fine ..." he muttered under his breath. "Take the pups, they don't need to hear this." Seirei turned his back on Tersias and Seema, continuing to fume in the far corner of the room.

[Tersias Tara-Hisakata]

Tersias sighed, "You're right, Seema. Kids, come on out, your Aunt Seema is going to look after you for a bit." she said, opening their door and ushering them into the main room.

"We're just going round in circles. Let me take half an hour to clear my head, and I'll come back and we can talk about this rationally. Like adults." she said to Seirei firmly, putting an acid emphasis on the word Adults.

And with that she left the den without another world, walking away.

[Seema Tara]

Seema nodded to Tersias as she left, and ushered the cubs towards the front door. But before leaving, she turned back to Seirei, trying to choke back the tears that were threatening to spill from the self hatred doing this was stirring in her heart.

"Seirei, I need you to know that this isn't what I wanted. And that I'm sorry, but I couldn't see any other way to keep Tersias and the pups protected. I promise you, I will fix this." she said softly, her tone sincere and her face deadly serious.

She led the pups outside and did a quick head count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - they were all here. "Let's go have some fun at Aunt Seema's house, kids" she said loudly, leading the pups away from the den and towards her house, pausing only to cast a quick glance at the brush where Kurai was hiding.

[Seirei Hisakata]

Seirei did not understand what Seema was going on about. He turned around sharply. Tersias had led the pups out of the den and were making their way outside. He stared at Seema. What was that look in her eyes? Why did she look so upset? "Seema, what ...? What do you mean? Sorry? Sorry for what -" But Seema had turned away and followed the rest of his family outside of the den, leaving him alone.

Seirei's pulse quickened as he paced round the main room, all sorts of thoughts racing through his mind. Maybe she just means sorry for interfering? No ... she would not have apologised for something like that. She would have thought she was doing the right thing, giving us a break ... but , sorry ...? What? Seirei did not have long to himself as he heard the door open again. He turned to face it quickly. Maybe Seema had come back to explain what she meant? Or maybe Tersias had decided to come back? But he was wrong. Seirei's heart stopped when he saw who was in front of him. He was standing there, there, in his own den. Like a ghost of days past.

"Hello little brother," was what Seirei heard next.

[Kurai Hisakata]

Kurai's face twisted into a cruel, twisted smile when he heard the signal, his fang-like teeth protruding at wonky angles, some digging into his own flesh. Seema had kept to her side of the bargain. Now it was his turn. He waited a few moments until the two fox sisters and the pups were out of the way, and then sprinted down the tunnel into the den. The door was not closed, left ajar by those who had just left. He pushed it open, the hinge squeaking a little, the sound echoing around the almost deserted room.

There he was. The blue fur, the enormous wings. He was the splitting image of their father. There was no mistaking it. Seirei had turned to face him and his face went pale as he stopped in his tracks. "Hello little brother." Kurai said. "It's been a while." His brother did not move or react. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost. "What's wrong little brother? Little Seirei? Don't you recognise me? But then again I suppose it had been a long time, since you banished me into the wastelands all those years ago. I suppose you'd thought I'd died. Poor Seirei."

[Seirei Hisakata]

Seirei finally gathered enough sense to speak, though the shock still left him rooted to the spot. "Kurai," he growled, his claws digging into the floor. "So you're behind all this. I should have known you would have escaped your banishment. You were never one for staying in one place too long."

He could not believe it. It was still a mystery to the founders how new animals kept on arriving in Tialka. Seirei had always suspected that it was partly to do with will. If an animal wanted it enough, they would find themselves being pulled away across the space between worlds. Kurai's need for revenge must have caused the same effect. Either way, Seirei knew that he had to deal with him, no matter how he got into his home.

"I suppose you've come back to claim the Headship, brother. I'm guessing murdering the entire council and our father wasn't enough. Then again you always had it in you. Mei - "

[Kurai Hisakata]

"SHUT UP!", Kurai snarled, crashing into his brother and pinning him to a wall. "What do you know about it?! Huh?! She died because the stupid little girl had to go running off, didn't she? And then you," he jabbed a talon into Seirei's chest like a knife, causing him to cry out in pain.

"You couldn't even catch her. And what's all this about the Headship? You never wanted it anyway. Always complaining whenever father gave you a duty. Always reluctant to go to the ceremonies. And who had to take it all, hmm? ME. That's who."

[Seirei Hisakata]

"That's right," Seirei panted, managing to free himself of Kurai's grip and throw the black wolf across the room. Blood began to trickle from his fresh wound, but it was not big enough to worry about. "I never wanted it. I wish that father had never died and that I did not have a murderous brute for a brother. But no, that's not how it happened. So if I have to protect our people from being led by the likes of you, then I'll damn well try."

Seirei flung himself at his brother, talons out, deafening snarls and growls filling the room. Now was the time for vengeance. For Mei, for the council ... and for his father. He's gonna pay, Dad ... he thought angrily, as he raised his right paw high and brought it down in a deadly swipe, knocking Kurai across a table, vases smashing around them as they fought in the enclosed space.

[Kurai Hisakata]

Kurai burst out laughing. A high-pitched cackle which would send shivers up the spine of the bravest foe. "Oh you can try, little brother," he laughed, as he quickly recovered from being knocked againt the solid table, ignoring the shards of pottery which dug into his flesh. The long recovery time at Seema's had served Kurai well. His leg did not even twinge as he itched for more violence, springing back at Seirei with a vast amount of strength, who crashed into the wall again, his head hitting the stone with a loud thud as he got the wind taken out of him.

[Seirei Hisakata]

Seirei's face screwed up with pain as he was sure he felt his skull crack against the stone wall to the left side of the room, a few feet away from his and Tersias' bed. He slid down onto the floor limply, his vision blurring in and out of focus, Kurai's now hysterical screeches filling his ears.

"Damn it, no ..." Seirei cursed, as he struggled to get onto his feet. "Not like this ... it can't end like this ... Tersias -" Seirei could feel something warm and fluid trickling down the back of his neck. He refused to pass out, not letting the nausia and the pain get to him. He was not sure if it was the darkness in his eyes, or the black fur as Kurai drew closer and closer with every passing second. His head hit the floor as his determination finally gave out and the darkness took him.

[Kiryu]

Kiryu caught a thermal, raising himself above the treetops. Flapping his wing to maintain his altitude, he banked towards Seirei's den. It lay ahead of him, entering free-fall Kiryu rocketed through the treetops. Below he could hear the sounds of breaking pottery and a chilling laughter, things did not seem good for Seirei.

Kiryu spread his wing, slowing his descent before landing outside the den. Things seemed eerily quiet, Kiryu focused his Chi energy. He sent it forward, blasting the door into pieces. I will have to owe you for that one, splinters arced across the room, embedding themselves in anything that could be perforated. Luckily Seirei was mostly blocked by an overturned table, the same could not be said for Kurai. Darting into the room, Kiryu threw the full force of his wing into the momentarily stunned wolf. He sprang back, using it as a shield between the two brothers.

[Nat Dynha]

Nat and Seema had caught up with Kiryu a fair bit when they had arrived, arriving just after the other fox's own arrival.

Nat called on her power once more, igniting her whole body. She entered the den, teeth bared and hackles raised, looking as if she was a star incarnate.

She realised how fierce she must look, but that thought was torn from her mind as she growled at the evil wolf.

[Seema Tara]

Seema entered shortly after Nat, to see Kiryu dealing with Kurai while Seirei lay unconscious on the floor. "Seirei!" she called out, they had been just a little too slow to stop him getting injured.

She dashed to her brother-in-law's side, examining him. There was blood spurting from a wound in the back of his head. She took a deep breath, visualising the injury and its healing in her mind. She focussed all her attention, her anger and guilt and determination and felt another of those mysterious pink orbs leaving her paw and heading towards Seirei. She watched anxiously to see how it would work.

[Kurai Hisakata]

Kurai was not expecting the barrage of creatures that came suddenly bursting through the door of the den one after the other. He recognised all their faces. These were the creatures he had met whilst still under his Kai alias. He knew he should have kept a closer eye on them, or killed them when he had the chance.

A large splinter from the exploding door dug into a back leg, and Kurai had the sense enough to shield his body from further damage as Kiryu the winged fox flew at him, then retreated over to the side of the room where Seirei lay motionless, his wing outstretched.

As if that was not enough, a new face he had not seen before came blazing - literally on fire - through the hole that had once been the door frame. Kurai did not like the look on her face, full of fury and flame. He retreated to a corner of the room, his mind racing, not knowing what to do. What was worse, was the Seema had returned, and instead of helping him ... went over to Seirei. "YOU!" he bellowed. "How DARE you disobey me!" He made a move to attack her, but then thought it better to stay put. He would not have been able to get to her anyway.

[Nat Dynha]

Nat saw him twitch a little, as if to run at Seema. Still growling, Nat stepped towards him.

"Don't. You. Dare." Her red eyes fixed on his. "You fight us now," she stated, referring to her and Kiryu. "And you. Will. Lose."