Twokinds ARCHIVE Forums

Nice update! So Petra wants to fight huh...well, this certainly made things complicated.

That is all I can say right now...so tired (crawls into bed).

I disagree with some of the mythology/subject matter, so I won't be following your story to its completion. That being said, you have a richly descriptive writing style and creative situations. I heartily endorse your future writings.

I'm sorry you don't like the Mythology, I knew that'd be an issue with some readers and I understand why.

Thanks for your compliments, maybe when I start writing one of my other stories you'd enjoy them more~ I've got a bunch planned ^_^

Chapter Six:

Click for Cast Sketches
------------
Note: Sorry about the lack of formatting... Forums suck for posting long stories... >.>
You can also read it on FictionPress here: <http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2447546/1/>




— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Six
By: Jae
— — — — — —



________Kira awoke to the loud buzzing of her alarm clock. She rubbed her eyes, trying to see the time and fell out of bed when she realized she was- once again- going to be late getting to the bus. She hastily put on her dirty school uniform and grabbed her hairbrush while running to the mirror. She moaned, realizing she was in her Wolf-Bestia form.
________ ‘Remember what I said?’ Ookami yawned, ‘The more you change, the harder it’ll be to keep your human form.”
________ “This sucks! I have to go to school, Ookami!” Kira moaned.
________ ‘There are four others having the same problem right now,’ Ookami yawned again.
________Kira quickly searched her closet for her winter-uniform’s longer skirt to hide her tail. Next she grabbed a hat and ran out the door, hoping her brother wouldn’t see her.
________While sprinting to the bus, Kira was reminded of a benefit that Bestia are blessed with. They can run much faster for much longer without getting tired. She made it to her bus stop with time to spare.

— — —

________Climbing onto the bus, Kira immediately noticed that TJ was wearing a baseball cap that didn’t quite fit right. He also had tied his uniform jacket around his waist to hide his fox tail.
________ “You too?” he sighed, pointing to Kira’s hat, “We’ve really gotta find a better way around this Bestia thing.” He pulled his hat off, trying not to hurt his ears.
________ “You know what?” Kira giggled, “I think you look good with fox ears.”
________ “Don’t even joke about that!” the boy said with a slight blush, “I know they’re weird…”
________ “No, seriously!” Kira smiled, taking her own hat off, “I think they’re kinda cute!”
________TJ’s face turned bright red, “Ah, r- really? Um, well… Y- you’re cute too…”
________Kira gave a look of shock, “What… did you… say??”
________ “Er- Y- your ears! Your Wolf Ears are cute! Y- you know, in a ‘cute-puppy’ kind of way!” TJ stuttered, putting his hat back on and turning to face the window.

— — —

________When TJ and Kira arrived at their normal meeting place in the hallway, they realized that Korith was the only one there. The two secured their hats and slowly walked up to the boy.
________ “Hi, Korith,” Kira said warmly, “Where is everyone?”
________ “He’s not gonna say anyth-“ TJ started to say, but was cut off.
________ “Not here…” Korith muttered, glaring coldly at TJ, “Robbie just walked by and Petra… Petra… never came.” Kira gave TJ a worried look. “What’s with the hats?” the boy continued.
________ “N- nothing!” TJ said defensively for both himself and Kira, “Just because! Erm, why can you talk all of a sudden??”
________Korith glared at TJ again and stood up, “I’ve got to go,” he said, turning to Kira, “Bye… Kira.” He turned and walked away without looking back.
________Kira and TJ looked at each other, confused. Why were their friends avoiding them? Petra’s made her reason quite clear… but Robbie and Korith? TJ and Kira decided to find out why. The two ran after Korith, down the stairway he’d turned into and around a corner. Suddenly, TJ grabbed Kira and stopped her. They were standing behind a row of lockers, but could see Korith. He was in the empty mailroom across the hall from them, the lights were off, but they could see him… and Liz was with him.

— — —

________ “I’ve been waiting for you, Taka,” Liz said.
________ “My name is Korith!” he yelled.
________ “Yes, yes; Korith.” Liz said, sarcastically, “I want to know why you’ve been avoiding your true form, Taka- denying your destiny- disobeying your Lord Tatsu’s orders.”
________Liz strutted around him and leaned against the wall of mailboxes. Korith followed the girl with his eyes, but would not move. He scowled and she grinned.
________ “I already told you. I’m not going to kill Kira!” Korith yelled, clenching his fists.
________ “Why not?!” Liz snapped, “What’s so special about that dog?! You belong to me, Taka! When I say ‘Fight,’ you fight!” She swung her arm forward with her fingers extended and held it for a moment, then slowly began clenching her hand into a fist. Korith let out a cry, falling to his knees. He grabbed his throat and began gasping for breath.
________Kira’s eyes widened and she began to run towards them, but TJ caught her in time, “Kira, no! Stay here!” He had to cover her mouth to keep her from screaming, but managed to keep her back.
________ “I don’t belong to you, you… You [censored]!!!” Korith coughed, trying to breath, “I don’t belong to ANYONE!”
________Liz released her spell and slapped the boy’s face, knocking him to the floor. She kicked him in the stomach as he lay, gasping for breath. The loud sound of the first period bell rang throughout the school and Liz scowled.
________ “Hmph, well? Get up!” she snapped, “I’ve got to go to class and see that dog. Heh, maybe I’ll just have her kill you, since you’re too weak to even try!” The Princess strutted out of the mailroom and down the hall, away from TJ and Kira.
________ “K… Kira…” Korith cried, stumbling to his feet, “You wouldn’t… w- would you?” He let out a long sigh before limping down the hall, mumbling to himself.

— — —

________ “What… The… Hell…?!” TJ muttered, frozen in shock, “He’s Taka? He’s the Hawk??!”
________ “Him too?” Kira said faintly, “Ookami, why..? Why are they all people I know..?”
________ ‘I’m sorry, Kid,’ the wolf sighed, ‘This has never happened before.’
________ “Kitsune says this happens almost every time,” TJ sighed.
________ “What..?” Kira said frozen, “Ookami..?!”
________ ‘Er…’ the wolf stuttered, ‘It may have happened once or twice. Not every time!’
________ “Gyah!” Kira moaned, “Who do I believe?!”
________ “Huh?” TJ asked, “Believe what? What’s Ookami saying?”
________ “The exact opposite of you, of course,” she cried.
________ “He never told you that?!” TJ asked, “Kitsune told me a lot of things… after I agreed to help him of course, the jerk.” He paused. “You are too a jerk for that!” He paused again, “I don’t care if you are a god, it was a jerky thing to do!” TJ noticed Kira’s look of shock and sighed, “I wonder what else he’s been keeping from you…”
________ ‘Tell him to shut Kitsune up, Kira!’ Ookami growled.
________ “No, Ookami! What else aren’t you telling me?!” the girl yelled.
________ ‘Nothing you’d care to hear, Kira!’ the wolf snapped, ‘I’m protecting you by not telling you.’
________A teacher walked up to TJ and Kira while they were talking. “What are you doing out here?!” he scolded, “Get to class, you’re late!”
________ “Uh, yeah, sorry,” TJ said, grabbing Kira’s hand, “Kira, let’s go! Now!”
________TJ walked with Kira most of the way, but left her as they passed his classroom. Kira walked dreadfully toward her classroom. She knew Liz would be waiting for her, and to make it worse, Ookami was on Liz’s side!”

— — —

________ “Kira, there you are!” Liz called, waiting outside the classroom, “I’d started thinking you might be dead! Speaking of death, how’s that little tournament going?”
________ “I’m not going to kill anyone. I refuse.” Kira said, giving a cold glare.
________ “What?! Why not?! You want to win, don’t you? Tatsu and I are rooting for you, Kira!” Liz faked a frown.
________ “I don’t want to hurt my friends!” Kira yelled, “I won’t!”
________ “Kira, get a hold of yourself,” the princess said, “I’m fond of you and I don’t want you to die without trying!”
________Kira clenched her fists, but kept her arms at her sides, “You only want one of the gods to be your SLAVE! You have them thinking it’s an HONOR, but it’s just HORRIBLE!!! The ‘Tatsu’ I’ve heard of is supposed to be a benevolent god! Why would he do this to us?! If you want to give them so much, why don’t you give them their own lives instead?”
________ “I want what’s best for them, but they have to earn it! I can only take one, and I was hoping for YOU!” the princess explained.
________ “I heard you talking to Korith.” Kira growled. Liz gasped. “Heh, sounds like you want him to win just as much as me. TJ and Petra too! You don’t care who lives or dies!”
________ “You damn dog!” Liz yelled, slapping Kira, “It doesn’t matter what you’ve seen or heard because I am your master now! You are nothing more than my PET! If I say to kill them, you will be a good dog and obey! No matter how much you try to fight it, Ookami will be released from within you and he will not hold back! He wouldn’t DARE disobey Tatsu!”
________Kira growled, “No! I won’t let him hurt them!!!”
________ “It’s too late, Kira! You lost to him the moment you agreed to help him! You’re under his control now! And when he fully obtains your body, YOU will DIE!”
________Kira froze. Die? SHE would die?! And Ookami would be the one to kill her?! How could this be? Though she’d been able to act strong in front of Liz, this fact began to shatter that strength. She fell to her knees, speechless.
________ “Oh, did he fail to mention that?” Liz grinned, “Heh, Silly Ookami- always full of secrets.”
________ “Ookami...!” Kira whimpered, “You lied to me!”
________ ‘I had to. I must obey my Lord Tatsu. I have to win this war, Kira; and I need YOUR body to fight!’
________ “Ookami… I HATE you!” Kira yelled, running away from Liz.
________She raced down the empty halls. She didn’t know where to go, she just had to go somewhere away from both Liz and her friends.
________ ‘Kira, there is no turning back now!’ the wolf growled, ‘You agreed to help me, and now you will! You have no choice! Once you lose your humanoid form completely, your body will be MINE! I’ve told you already, I will win this war!!!’
________ “You can’t make me help you!” Kira cried.
________ ‘Like hell I can’t!’ Ookami barked, taking over. Kira let out a cry before he took full control. “Now,” Ookami grinned, “Let’s go find an opponent.”



— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Six
END
— — — — — —

Good update. So their all gonna die huh...at least it can't get any worse right?

hmmm....So Ookami is not such a good doggy after all. (Bad Ookami! Bad! No treat for you!)

I like the "What is cute" arguement between Kira and TJ. I can see if carrying it on further.

TJ: You are cute.
Kira: What I am cute?!
TJ: Uh...NO! Your wolf ears are cute!
Kira:Oh! So I'm not cute?!
TJ: Wait...Yes...you are...I mean...STOP CONFUSING ME!!!

xD! Love it~

Chapter Seven:

Click for Cast Sketches
------------
Note: Sorry about the lack of formatting... Forums suck for posting long stories... >.>
You can also read it on FictionPress here: <http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2447546/1/>


— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Seven
By: Jae
— — — — — —


______The wolf rampaged through the school halls, not even bothering to waste magic on hiding himself from mortals. The few students and faculty in the halls darted out of the way, screaming. Ookami skidded to a halt by the stairway and sniffed the air.
______ “Kuma…” he grinned.
______A boy with dark brown hair and bear ears opened the doors and turned to face Ookami. He had a calm, yet serious look on his face. Kira watched in horror through Ookami’s eyes; it was her friend, Robbie, in the form of a Bear Bestia.
______ ‘Robbie, run!’ she yelled.
______ “He can’t hear you, kid,” Ookami replied, “Not that he could escape anyway.”
______Ookami held his position and growled while the Bear Bestia slowly walked closer, keeping his eyes locked on Ookami.
______ “So you’re really him, huh? You’re Ookami,” the boy said, calmly.
______ “God of Nature, in the flesh. Now prepare yourself, Robert. Transform into Kuma,” the wolf ordered.
______ “How’d you know my name..?” Robbie gasped as Kuma forcefully took control of his body.
______ “So here we are, once again…” Kuma sighed, “I’m ready when you are.”

— — —

______The wolf growled and charged Kuma. The bear began to glow and conjured several orbs of water. The water hovered around Kuma as Ookami ran closer, gaining speed, but the bear did not move.
______ “Remember, Ookami. Water can heal or destroy the earth,” Kuma said calmly, commanding the water to fly towards the charging wolf.
______ “After thousands of years, you’d think you’d get a new line,” Ookami laughed, easily dodging the water.
______ “After thousands of years, you’d think you’d get a new attack method!” the bear snapped.
______The orbs of water that passed Ookami shot back the way they came and surrounded him. Ookami froze in shock as they began circling him, faster and closer until they formed a single ball of water, with Ookami trapped inside. Infuriated that he fell for the bear’s trap, Ookami thrashed around within the water prison. Realizing it was useless just made the wolf angrier, but he stopped and glared at Kuma, waiting for a chance to escape.
______Kira saw through Ookami’s eyes; the water circling them. Together, Kira and Ookami took a breath, but as soon as they were trapped, she could feel her throat getting tighter. She tried to scream but couldn’t make a sound. She could do nothing to relieve the burning pain. Finally, Ookami stopped wasting energy thrashing around, but the pain still remained.
______ “Now that you’re just floating there; how about you listen to what I have to say,” Kuma grinned, walking right up to Ookami, “as you’ve requested, I do have a ‘new line’… but we’ll get to that later.”
______Ookami slammed his eyes shut and tightened every muscle in his body, trying to bare the pain in his lungs. Kuma scoffed and re-shaped the orb of water to allow the wolf’s nostrils to breathe. Ookami tried to use this to escape, but it was useless.
______Kuma let out a long, slow sigh, “You, my friend, are going to lose this battle, here and now. I will not allow you, or any of the other gods, to win this time. I will not let that happen again…”
______Ookami began to laugh from within the water, releasing the little air in his lungs to do so. Kuma gave a hard glare and the wolf stopped. “At any rate,” Kuma growled, “you are about to die. But being the kind god I am, I am willing to make that easier on you.”
______The water reformed into its original shape, preventing Ookami from breathing, and this time he could not take a breath to prepare himself. Again, his and Kira’s lungs felt the burn of suffocation.
______ “Give me your human, Ookami. Let her feel the pain of death for you,” Kuma grinned, “It’s the least I can do for you, old friend.”
______Ookami gave a look of shock, but it faded to a wicked grin. Quickly, Ookami transformed into Kira’s Bestia form. The wolf-girl froze, terrified in the watery prison as Kuma looked her over.
______ “Ookami…! Why…!” she muttered through the water.
______ ‘Trust me, Kira. It’s the only way,’ Ookami laughed, ‘You will be my trump card against your dear friend Robert.’

— — —

______ “Kira?” the bear asked. She slowly nodded. “Perfect; here’s someone who might listen to reason!” Kuma continued, releasing the water spell that restrained Ookami so easily.
______Kira fell to the floor and tried to catch her breath. Kuma gave a warm smile and leaned forward, using his snout to help Kira to her feet.
______ “Kira,” the bear said warmly, “I never intended to harm you, please forgive me if I frightened you. You do not need to fear me. I just needed to talk to you without Ookami’s fangs getting in the way; though I am shocked that such an honorable god like Ookami would send a human to their death so easily. He used to be such a kind god, but the stress of this curse must have truly gotten to him. Please don’t blame him for that, Kira.”
______ “Why are you… defending Ookami? Aren’t you enemies?” Kira asked.
______ “Quite the opposite, Kira. We are, in fact, close friends…” Kuma sighed, “Or at least we were in the past.”
______Kuma explained the situation to Kira, starting at the very beginning. He described the way Solum was in his time, with Tatsu ruling as God and the five animals each controlling a region of the land. The world had only one large continent with five territories; Neko’s red-clay wastelands, Kitsune’s desert, Taka’s mountains, Ookami’s forest, and Kuma’s swamp. Though the Solum Kira lived in was all similar climates and had changing seasons, it was never intended to be that way.
______ “But why are you telling me all this?” Kira interrupted, “And you never said why you’re not fighting, I thought “Tatsu” said you had to… and the way Liz said it, it sounded like a big deal…”
______ “Liz?” Kuma asked, “Elizabeth?? Bah! That so-called ‘Princess’ is corrupting Tatsu! Don’t listen to anything she says! If Ookami were smart, he’d do the same. Tatsu ordered us to respect and obey her, but I refuse!”
______ “I’d do anything to keep this from happening… All the gods are possessing my friends… Korith, TJ, Petra… and you… you’re Robbie,” Kira stated, “We have to stop this… somehow.”
______ “I understand, Kira,” Kuma said, trying to comfort her, “and I think I know a way to end this war- this curse! But I’ll need Ookami’s help… if he’s willing to offer it…”
______ ‘There is no way to end it…’ Ookami muttered, ‘All we can do… is die.’

— — —

______Arms crossed and leaning against the back wall of the school, Korith glared coldly at TJ who paced in front of him, grinning. Shortly after leaving Kira, TJ chased down Korith and brought him behind the school. The fox-boy tried as hard as he could to keep his human form in front of Korith… not that it would matter with what he had planned.
______ “So, what was it you brought me here to see?” Korith asked, “’Cause honestly, I’d rather be in class than here with you right now.”
______ “Glad yah can talk, Korith,” TJ snapped, “Too bad we couldn’t have heard your voice longer.”
______ “What was that supposed to mean?” Korith asked, “Ugh, okay, you don’t like me. You never did. I get it, douchebag. But if you don’t like me, tell me why the hell you brought me here already!”
______ “You’re here for two reasons…” TJ said, turning his grin to a scowl, “Reason one: you… love… Kira.”
______Korith glared coldly, “Why the hell do you care? What, do you like her too or something? You think she’d fall for a loser jock like you?! Hah! Yeah, right!”
______ “Oh, and the MUTE EMO-KID has a better chance than me? Hah!” TJ laughed.
______Korith clenched his fist and stomped towards TJ who just laughed. He grabbed the collar of TJ’s shirt and lifted the boy to his own height, staring straight into his eyes.
______ “What? You gonna hit me? Hah!” TJ grinned, “Ya got the food chain all wrong, Birdie.”
______Quickly, TJ transformed from the Human form he’d so desperately tried to hold to his Bestia form and then finally to his full Fox-Lycanthrope form. His clothes faded away as fur grew all over his body, his long tail re-appeared and his ears pointed and morphed into the ears of a fox. He stood looking down on Korith, who’d previously been taller, grinning in his werefox body.
______Korith gasped, realizing TJ was the same as Kira and himself. Taka warned the boy to transform into his own Lycanthrope form, knowing Korith would refuse to let the god fight. Korith closed his eyes as his back began to ache; bones moved and grew. Out of his back sprouted two large, feathery, light-brown wings. Smaller feathers replaced his hair and grew on his arms and legs; three long, slightly curled, feathers also appeared as a tail. His toenails and fingernails sharpened to form talons. His Bestia form resembled a mix between an Angel and a Harpy.
______Refusing the transform into his full-lycanthrope form, Korith attempted to fight as a Bestia- ignoring Taka’s warnings. Though his Bestia form was twice as strong as a Human, a Full-Lycanthrope easily had triple that strength. TJ slashed at Korith with his new claws, but the harpy jumped out of reach with ease. He used his wings to hover out of the way of TJ’s attacks, but couldn’t control them well enough to avoid all damage. Korith punched TJ in the jaw, but the fox didn’t even flinch; he just kept coming at him with his claws. Korith had to escape; he attempted to fly higher, out of TJ’s reach. The fox-boy jumped at Korith and bit deep into his leg, then pulled the boy to the ground and pinned him down. TJ snarled at Korith, glaring into his eyes; he dug his claws into the boy’s wrists and held him in that position.
______ “You looked so damn brave in front of Liz,” TJ grinned, “Kira was so impressed. What if she saw you now, looking so weak and helpless? A dying angel…” He let out a laugh, “Pfft! ‘Angel’! Don’t go thinkin’ those wings make you any more special than you were before! You’re still the same weak emo-kid you’ve always been!” A twinge of fear raced throughout Korith’s body, but he remained silent “You don’t deserve Kira. Hell, if you can’t even put up a fight against me, how do you expect to save her from a god?! You can’t protect her the way I can!”
______ “You sound like a bratty little kid,” Korith snapped, “You’ve always been that way and always will!” TJ dug his claws deeper into Korith’s wrists. “Gyah!!! …You… You ANNOY Kira- You just annoy ALL of us! Do you really think this demented act of ‘strength’ will make a difference to her?! Do you?!!”
______Infuriated, TJ released his grips on Korith and slashed both clawed hands deep through Korith’s chest. Blood gushed out of the wound, staining TJ’s fur. Without another word, the fox boy stood up and slowly walked away from his dying foe.
______ “So…” Korith coughed faintly, “This is how it ends, huh? Heh… well at least… you’re free… See yah, Taka… And… thank you… for not hurting… her…………”

— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Seven
END
— — — — — —

Chapter Eight:

Click for Cast Sketches
------------
Note: Sorry about the lack of formatting... Forums suck for posting long stories... >.>
You can also read it on FictionPress here: <http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2447546/1/>



— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Eight
By: Jae
— — — — — —


______Infuriated, TJ released his grips on Korith and slashed both clawed hands deep through Korith’s chest. Blood gushed out of the wound, staining TJ’s fur.
______ “This’d better work! This has to work!” TJ mumbled to himself, walking away from his dying foe, “It… it will work!”
______Kitsune remained silent throughout the entire fight. Though he would have killed Taka without a second thought, the fact that this human boy did it himself worried the god. TJ killed someone who was supposed to be his friend… all for love. Was love some irresistible force, so powerful it turned friends against each other? Kitsune had never been in love, he had no need for it. He was a god, born to serve his lord Tatsu; he desired nothing more. Kitsune had seen Tatsu fall in love, and that love ruined much more than a simple friendship. The ‘princess’ Tatsu fell for brought pain and suffering to mortals for the last five thousand years, all because of this constant reincarnation.
______ “Kitsune,” TJ muttered, “You can’t tell anyone about this. I need Kira’s love; it’s all I have left…”
______ ‘What about him?’ Kitsune asked, ‘Won’t she be upset that he’s gone?’
______ “Yeah…” TJ sighed, “I hope I can help her through that… And then she’ll see me as the only one she wants to be with. I’ll make her forget about him.”

— — —

______A rumble of thunder rolled across the clouds and a light rain began to fall, washing away the blood from Korith’s dead body. Taka’s soul was gone- sent to his prison in Inanis. Hidden from the sacred Dragon Gods, in the world of everything and nothingness. Waiting, silently, for the day this war would finally end.
______ “No!” Kuma gasped, turning away from Kira, “It can’t be!”
______ ‘He’s gone…’ Ookami muttered.
______ “What’s wrong? What happened?” Kira asked with a confused look.
______ “He can’t be dead! I need all five of us for my plan to work!” Kuma growled, “I need him in order to end this!”
______ ‘Kira, I’m taking over,’ Ookami stated, ‘Taka is gone. Keep quiet while I find him.’
______Kira didn’t even struggle while Ookami took control of her body. She was speechless from her disbelief. What did he mean by “Taka is gone”? He’s dead? That can’t be true! Taka was… Korith. Korith can’t be dead! That’s impossible!!! They just talked to him this morning! He was just here! Kira saw him with her own eyes- heard him with her own ears! He can’t be gone!!! It had to be a lie! Not Korith! ANYONE but Korith!
______ “I don’t know what you have planned, Kuma,” Ookami sighed, “But you have my trust for the time being.” He paused and sniffed the air, “Follow me, I’ve got Taka’s scent. It’s faint, but I think I can lead you to him.”

— — —

______Ookami and Kuma ran through the school, following the scent of Korith’s blood. They ran past more mortals who jumped out of the way, terrified. Finally, the gods left the school and ran through the rain. Korith’s scent became weaker as the rain fell harder.
______ ‘No..!’ Kira muttered as they walked up to the dead harpy, ‘Who did this..?!’
______ “I’m sorry, Kid,” Ookami sighed, “The rain washed their scent away, whoever it was…” The wolf looked to Kuma and the two gods transformed into Kira and Robbie, both in their Bestia forms.
______Kira fell to her knees in front of Korith’s body and began to sob, “Why..?! K- Korith..! Wake up..! Please!”
______The girl leaned forward and hugged the boy, resting her head atop his chest, “Please, wake up…”
______ “Korith…” Robbie mumbled, kneeling next to Kira, “What happened to you… Who could have done this?”
______ “Whoever it was…” Kira growled, “I’ll kill them..! I swear to god, I’ll kill them!!!” she continued to sob, “Korith..!”
______ ‘Kira…’ Ookami muttered.
______ “No, Kira! You can’t say that! We have to STOP this war!” Robbie yelled, “You can’t fight! I can’t let you! Kuma and I have a plan to end this!”
______ “What’s the point?!” she sobbed, “Everyone I’ve ever loved has been taken away from me..! My parents… My friends… Korith… Even I am going to be killed- if not killed in a fight, then by Ookami! Why is this happening?! It’s not fair!!!” Tears streamed down her cheeks, “It’s not… fair..! Who… did… this..?! I need to know! I’ll make them pay..!”
______ “Petra did it…” TJ stated, walking up behind Kira and Robbie. He placed his hand on Kira’s shoulder and continued, “I saw her… But I couldn’t do anything… I couldn’t stop her..!”
______Kira let out a cry and wrapped her arms around TJ, sobbing uncontrollably. The fox-Bestia rubbed her back softly, trying to comfort her.
______ “TJ…” Kira sobbed, “I should have talked to him… I should have followed him… Anything! Maybe if I had, he’d still be…”
______ “Don’t cry, Kira…” the fox-boy said softly, “I’m here… and I’ll protect you. I won’t let anyone hurt you again… So don’t cry… There’s nothing you could have done. You have to move on.”
______ ‘He’s right, Kid,’ Ookami said, ‘There’s nothing you could have done; he’s gone. At least your friend’s spirit can rest… he’s almost lucky to get out so soon. Taka’s soul has already been sent to Inanis- and he’ll be trapped there for the next five hundred years.’
______ “Inanis..?” Kira asked.
______Ookami explained to Kira about Inanis- the land of the Dragon Gods- the world between worlds- the resting place of the five gods while waiting for reincarnation. Inanis was unlimited space of nothingness. The only material items in that world were the Mirror-Portals that granted access to the connecting worlds, and the cages that held the five elemental gods after death. Because of the limitless space in Inanis, no one ever found the animal gods… they just waited for five hundred years at a time for another chance at life.
______ “TJ,” Robbie said, pulling him away from Kira, “Will you help us? We need to end this war before anyone else dies- if not for us, then for the next five who are destined to be cursed! Kuma has a plan that might work, but we need to work together!”
______TJ turned back to Kira, “If she’ll help, then Kitsune and I will too.” Robbie and TJ stood silently, waiting for the girl’s response.
______ ‘The choice is entirely yours, Kid. Like the other gods, I truly want this to end,’ Ookami sighed, ‘but we have to do this quickly. We only have so much time before your body becomes mine- that I cannot control. And for that I hope you can forgive me… I never wanted to bring you harm, Kira.’ He paused, ‘I am far too selfish, and I should have never asked you to fight.’
______ “Robbie…” Kira said quietly, “We’ll help.”
______At the same moment; Kuma, Kitsune, and Ookami transformed into their own bodies. They looked at Korith’s body, and then walked away together. The sight of his body was far too distracting and painful.
______ “Taka…” Kitsune sighed, walking behind Ookami and Kuma. He couldn’t tell the truth about the Hawk’s death- not if he wanted to keep TJ’s trust. He had to bear the weight of sorrow on his own.

— — —

______ “So Kuma,” Ookami asked, “What is this new plan I keep hearing about?”
______ “Better be good,” Kitsune snapped.
______Though the rainstorm had seemed to stop, the three gods stood under a large tree to shield them from the threat of rain. They’d left the school and walked to a nearby forest- the other side of the same forest Kira and TJ lived in.
______ “I’ve heard from some bears in this very forest,” Kuma explained, “That Lord Tatsu hasn’t appeared to mortals since our first battle. No one knows what has become of him! Most mortals believe our very existence is a mere LEGEND- ‘The Legend of the Five Gods.’ Our past lives have been reduced to nothing more than a bedtime story for children!” Kuma growled, “But there is one artifact that should prove our existence and end this curse. According to the bears, in our first battle, our final attacks created an item that could allow use of Arcane Power.” He paused, “As you may have noticed, Princess Elizabeth has the ability to use arcane magic- a magic stronger than our own! If we find and reassemble this so called ‘Arcane Necklace,’ we may stand a chance against her, and be able to stop our reincarnations. Recreate our own bodies and free these Humans. We could change Solum back to the way it was meant to be!”
______ “But that necklace must have been lost for thousands of years!” Kitsune exclaimed, “How the hell will we find it?!”
______Kuma explained that the arcane pendant was actually six separate gems- five elemental jewels and a single Arcane Pearl.
______ “These gems were separated and we each have to find our own. The bears said these elemental jewels returned themselves to our original regions of Solum, if we split up and search for them; we can end this curse before it’s too late. As for the arcane pearl- I will assume it has made its way to Tatsu’s castle,” Kuma explained, “We can worry about that one last… I don’t particularly want to see what’s become of Tatsu’s castle during his absence.”
______ “Kuma,” Ookami interrupted, “I’ll trust you for the time being. And because we’re already in my region, I will volunteer to search for the pearl at Tatsu’s castle… if I see any sign of Tatsu, I will let you both know.”
______ “Thank you,” Kuma said calmly, “Thank you both for helping me. Together we can end this.” The bear turned away, “Rest well tonight, my friends- tomorrow will be a long day…” The bear ran into the distance, leaving Ookami and Kitsune behind.

— — —

______The two gods transformed into Kira and TJ’s Bestia forms. Kira turned to walk home through the forest, but TJ grabbed her hand and held her there.
______ “Kira…” he muttered, “Listen… I… I like you… a lot. I want to be with you… to protect you. This power… I can use it… for you.”
______The girl froze, she’d suspected that TJ liked her, but never thought he’d actually confess to it! “TJ, I… I don’t know… I mean…” Her thoughts wandered back to Korith and her eyes began to water, “I… don’t know if it’d work… with… Ookami… and Kitsune…”
______She tried to think up excuses, but TJ could see her about to break. He knew what she was really thinking.
______ “Forget about anyone else! This is between you and me… okay? Please, give me a chance- you have to!” Without giving her a chance to react, TJ wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.
______ “I…” she muttered, pulling away and turning her head, “TJ… give me time to think, okay? I can’t do this now… Not today… Not after… what happened… to Korith.”
______ “I’m stronger than Korith was! Much stronger! I’m not going to die like he did! I’ll make sure you’re safe!!!” TJ yelled, tightening his grip on Kira.
______ “What’s wrong with you?!!” Kira yelled, shoving the boy away, “Korith just died! Don’t you even care?!” She looked the boy in the eyes and could see his sorrow. “I’m not really sure what’s going to happen… But right now, this isn’t going to work.” She sighed, “I just need time… Please, give me time.”
______A large bolt of lightning exploded across the sky and rain began to pour once again. Kira turned away from TJ and began to walk alone. The boy clenched his fist and stood silently, watching as his love left him behind.
______ “I won’t give up, Kira…” he muttered, “I’ll prove myself to you!”


[/b]— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Eight
END
— — — — — —[/b]

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Chapter Nine:


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— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Nine
By: Jae
— — — — — —



______Kira stood in her bathroom, looking in the mirror. She was in her full-lycanthrope form, attempting to stand properly. She tried to learn how to walk with her new paw-like feet, but kept falling. Ookami suggested walking on all fours, but she refused. She quickly learned to use her tail to help keep her balance. Looking closer in the mirror, she realized that the only thing that stayed the same from her human form was her blue eyes. Even her hair became drastically darker in her Bestia form, and in her Lycanthrope form, it was dark gray.
______ “Things have finally slowed down,” Kira sighed, “Now that I’ve gotten a chance to chill out, this werewolf thing is actually… kinda cool… kinda.”
______The girls mind began to wander as she stared into the mirror. It’s been only a week and her life has changed so dramatically. And yet, through all that’s happened, she still felt a sense of trust in Ookami. He had a sort of fatherly appeal that made her feel safe with him. Despite his occasional cruelty, she still found a way to forgive him. The strange thing was, no matter how hard she tried, she could not forgive TJ for what he said earlier. That one line that kept repeating itself in her mind; ‘I’m not going to die like Korith did!’ Why would he say something like that? She clenched her fist in anger- a powerful anger she couldn’t understand. All he was trying to do was comfort and reassure her, and she blew up at him. TJ is her friend too- she shouldn’t forget him simply because of her own sorrow. Maybe TJ was upset about Korith and didn’t know what he was saying. How could she blame him for that?
______She couldn’t blame TJ, but she couldn’t forgive him either. Korith was dead, and that’s all she cared about. Neither Korith nor Kira ever told the other how they felt, but they both knew. She loved him, but he was gone. And now all of a sudden TJ decides to confess his love for her?! Why now? Why not when they were ‘normal’? She always liked TJ in a way, but with Korith it was just different. Now with Korith gone, is it even right to be with TJ, just because he’s still here? Why wouldn’t it be? TJ is a good-looking guy with a strong body, not too muscular, but fit. He is always able to make her laugh; he could cheer her up whenever she was upset. So why does it feel like she’s betraying Korith? Would his spirit be able to rest knowing she loved another man? Kira’s mind continued to scream questions, back and forth- never leaving enough time to find an answer.
______ ‘You’re really going to confront your brother, Kid?’ Ookami asked, interrupting her train of thought.
______ “Ah, um…” she yelped, pulling herself back to the real world, “Y- yeah; I can’t hide from Keno forever. I’d rather show him willingly then risk him finding out on his own,” She walked out of the bathroom and looked out the window, “And there he is…”
______Kira’s heart began to pound as she heard the car door slam shut. Her wolf ears could hear every footstep as Keno walked towards the front door. She waited around a corner so he wouldn’t see her too soon. Just as Kira began to doubt her decision, the front door squeaked open and Keno slowly walked in.
______Keno walked forward, closing the door behind him. As soon as she heard the door click shut, Kira walked up behind him and gently placed her paw on his shoulder to get his attention. She quickly realized that her method probably wasn’t the best; Keno let out a loud yell and fell to the floor, cowering in fear below the Werewolf.
______ “What are you?! What do you want?!” he cried, “Where’s Kira??! Kira!!!”
______Kira cringed when she heard her own name being called. “Keno…” she muttered, trying to remain calm.
______ “You can talk?!” the boy cried, “How do you know my name?! Where’s my sister?!!” He slowly tried to inch backwards, without being noticed, but Kira just sighed.
______The girl kneeled next to her brother and sighed again, “Keno… It’s… me. I’m Kira. I’m… a ‘Lycanthrope’…”
______She attempted to calm him down, though the boy resisted as much as he possibly could. He attacked her with questions, some she knew the answers to and others she didn’t. Kira just decided to tell him everything, starting at the very beginning, in that stairwell with Korith and Liz. She told him about the gods and their never-ending battle. She told him the little she knew about Lord Tatsu and Princess Elizabeth. But what Kira mostly talked about was finding the Arcane Necklace she knew so little about, and freeing Ookami.
______ “I don’t think I understand, Kira,” Keno sighed, “Who exactly is this… ‘Ookami’?”
______Kira faintly smiled as Ookami took control and transformed into his own body. The dire wolf stood over the boy, grinning. The beast was almost too tall to fit in the building, and certainly wouldn’t fit through any doorways.
______ “I am Ookami,” he announced, “The Wolf god of Nature.”
______ “No way..!” Keno muttered in shock, “You- Wh- Why’d you have to bring my sister into this?! Why did you have to choose her?! She’s not a fighter!” Keno jumped towards the wolf and punched him in the jaw- an attack that barely made the god flinch. “Leave her out of this..! She’s a normal human..!”
______ “And that’s where you’re wrong. She is much more than that.” Ookami paused, “You only think she’s incapable of doing these things because you refuse to let her try. I’ve seen Kira stand her ground against a God. She’s been able to take over when I’m in control of this body. She’s the most powerful partner I’ve had… And has much more potential than you give her credit for.”
______ “I just… want to protect her,” Keno mumbled, “She’s… all I have left, you know..? What if something happens to her..?”
______ “I’m here to protect her too,” Ookami said calmly, “Ya hear me, Kid? I won’t let anything happen to you.”
______The girl took control of her body, and was able to transform into her Bestia form. “See, Keno? Nothing is going to happen,” she grabbed his hand and made him look her in the eyes, “I trust Ookami. He can be mean sometimes… and he’s lied to me… but… I still feel safe with him.”

— — —

______Kira went up to her room, leaving Keno to soak everything in.
______ ‘I don’t understand you, kid,’ Ookami sighed, ‘why do you trust me so much? I mean… if this Arcane Pendant thing takes too long to find… you could die… because of me. When I first met you, I told you I was going to steal your body and murder your friends. So… why?’
______ “You’ve also saved my life, Ookami,” Kira replied.
______ ‘I was protecting your body so I could have it. You know that now,’ the wolf muttered.
______ “You’re lying,” She said quickly, “I know you were really protecting me; and no matter what you say to sound like some ‘tough war god,’ I’m going to keep believing that. You’re my friend, no matter how much you might deny it.”
______ ‘Kid…’ Ookami sighed, ‘I’ve had friends before; four beings I’d place all my trust in. I’d have done anything for them. But they turned on me the moment our superior ordered it. If that stupid cat had only kept his mouth shut, none of this would have happened. He’s the one who gave Elizabeth the idea in the first place. If Neko hadn’t picked a fight with Kitsune…’ He let out a slight growl, ‘You say I’m your friend… heh… I will continue to protect you, kid, I owe you that much. But I simply cannot see you as a friend. How do I know you won’t betray me the moment it benefits you? I’ve been betrayed before, and I will not bring that upon myself again.’
______He tried to justify his harsh reasoning to the confused girl; he explained, in detail, what the Princess had done to them. First she talked Lord Tatsu into hosting a ‘friendly tournament.’ But then she went to each god while they were alone. She told them lies about one another, turning their friendship to jealousy and hatred. Ookami vowed to never call anyone ‘friend’ again. For five thousand years, they fought. They killed each other and the princess laughed at their foolishness. Lord Tatsu had ordered them to respect and obey Elizabeth, and none of them would dare deny their master’s command. Tatsu even taught her Arcane magic- a magic created from all five elements- a magic stronger than their own. She was a human, magic is much harder to control and easily weakens her, but the fact that the magic she wielded was Arcane gave her an automatic trump card.
______ ‘Even though we knew she was a cruel person, we could do nothing to her. And for some reason we believed her slander about ourselves,’ the wolf sighed again, ‘If you don’t understand why I won’t call you my friend, then you truly are foolish, kid.’
______ “You’re the one who’s being foolish…” Kira muttered, “I don’t care what you say; we’re friends.”
______ ‘I’ve been around a long time, kid. Friendship and trust are things I’ve learned to do without. I don’t see how you trust me so much- I could turn on you just as easily as you to me,” the wolf snapped, ‘We’re nothing more than partners because of a curse,’
______ “Yes, we are partners, but that’s not all,” the girl yawned, lying down on her bed, “You’re… not as tough as you pretend to be… you’re…” Kira paused to yawn again. “A really good… friend,” she muttered, falling asleep.
______‘…You too,’ Ookami whispered, knowing she couldn’t hear him, ‘Good night, kid…’ He didn’t want to hurt her, but even more, he didn’t want to be hurt by her. All of his past partners despised him for ruining their lives- the fact that Kira had any faith at all in him was beyond belief.





— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Nine
END
— — — — — —

Chapter Ten:


Click for Cast Sketches
------------
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— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Ten
By: Jae
— — — — — —



______TJ sat on his bedroom floor, hiding behind the locked door. He was in his Bestia form, griping his furry tail tightly in his hands. He’d been desperately trying to transform into a Human ever since he’d left Kira, but couldn’t. The boy bit his lip and tried once again to transform, but once again, he failed.
______ “Kitsune, this is bad!” TJ mumbled, “My dad will be home soon!”
______The boy’s family consisted of only his dad, Tom; his older brother, Matt; and himself. His Father was attending Matt’s football game, which gave TJ a chance to sneak into the house. His brother lived at a local college and was obsessed with two things: Winning sports, and hating Bestia. The whole family had an immense hatred for Bestia that began through their love for sports. They believed a Bestia’s natural strength and stamina was a method of cheating. Bestia were no better than the animals they resembled.
______ ‘It’s not like he’s gonna kill ya,’ Kitsune said, ‘he’s your father, for crying out loud- will he really care that much?’
______ “Yes,” TJ replied harshly, “he will.”
______TJ sighed, beginning to lose hope. His mind began to wander as he sat, looking at his tail. Why did this have to happen to him? It’s only been a week and his life was over- he would see nothing but rejection until death. First from his family, he’d lose his home and possessions and be thrown out into the cold. Then Kira would confront him, denying his love. Even if somehow they found the Arcane Necklace and freed themselves from the curse, he would be hated by everyone because he killed Korith. What if Kitsune tells the others before that even happens? Or worse, what if Neko does?! Neko and Petra never agreed to the truce, what if Petra finds out he blamed her and comes looking for him? Could he beat her in a fight? If he lost, would Kira cry for him like she cried for Korith? TJ was quickly pulled back into reality as his fox ears heard someone stomping up the stairs.
______ “TJ!” his father’s deep voice yelled. The man forcefully tried to turn the door handle, but the lock held. “Open this damn door or you’re gonna get it good, boy!”
______ “Wh- What did I do?! What’s wrong??” TJ asked, terrified his father would bash the door in, as he’s done before.
______ “Your teachers called saying you skipped class again, you damned retard,” he yelled, “If you skip class you’ll be cut from ALL of your sports teams! Now open this goddamned door!”
______ “I- I’d rather not..!” the fox-boy stuttered, jumping to his feet.
______TJ stood, frozen, as his fears came true; his father began ramming into the door. The boy tried to think of a way to escape, but it was far too late; he should have never come home. He grabbed his sensitive fox-ears in pain as he heard the loud sounds of the door being smashed into. BANG! BANG! BANG! SMASH! The door was not only ripped off its hinges, but it splintered into several chunks of wood.
______TJ froze like a deer caught in the headlights, only able to mutter three words, “No..! Kitsune… help..!”

— — —

______The man kicked the hunks of wood out of his way and made his way into TJ’s room.
______ “You’re gonna get it now, boy! You shoulda’ opened the door in the first--!” He cut himself short and stared angrily at his son. “What in god’s name are you wearing?! Are you just trying to piss me off today?! Take that [censored] off your head before I rip it off!”
______ “D- Dad, I-” TJ tried to mutter an explanation, but was interrupted.
______ “I don’t want your damn excuses!” The man grabbed TJ’s fox-like ear and tried to rip it away. TJ cried out in pain as his father realized they were real. Still holding his ear, the man threw his son to the floor. “What the hell did you do to yourself?! You’re one of those monsters! You’re a BESTIA!!!”
______ “No! I’m not a Bestia!” TJ quickly explained, “I’m a Lycanthrope— it’s different! I hate Bestia, you know that!”
______ “Look at yourself, boy- you’re a freak! No better than those goddamned animals! You’ve gotten yourself into trouble before- how’d you possibly manage this [censored]?!”
______TJ cowered on the floor as his father stood over him. When he didn’t respond, his father kicked his side and demanded an explanation again. All the while, Kitsune watched, astonished that a Human would do this to his own son. TJ cried out in pain when his dad stomped on the boy’s tail. Kitsune had seen more than enough- no one should be treated this way- no matter the circumstances. It was time for this man to learn his place.
______An aura of flames surrounded the boy, causing his father to jump away. They contained no heat, but illuminated Kitsune’s strength. TJ’s eyes lightened from brown to orange. The god took control of his body, but did not transform into a dire fox. He stood, snarling, in TJ’s Bestia body.
______ “How dare you treat me this way, Father,” Kitsune snarled, speaking not only in TJ’s voice, but acting as if he was the boy himself, “You will show me the respect a Lycanthrope deserves!”
______The man let out a deep laugh, “Bestia, Lycanthrope, whatever you call yourself, boy; you still look like a filthy animal to me!”
______Kitsune grabbed the man’s shirt collar and slammed him against the wall, “You’re the filthy animal, Human! Scum like you doesn’t deserve to live!” He could smell the man’s fear- not that he needed to- it was clearly displayed on his face. Kitsune stared the man in the eyes, grinning.
______ ‘Kill him, Kitsune!’ TJ growled, ‘You said it yourself- he deserves it!’
______The god froze. TJ was acting no different than this man. The only way he’s learned to deal with his problems is violence. He couldn’t accept rejection, so he killed his friend. He can’t stand up to his father, so he wants to kill him too. Kitsune let out a long sigh and released his grip on the boy’s father. The man slid down the wall until he sat on the floor, speechless from fear.
______ “I’m leaving,” Kitsune sighed, “Make a sound and you’ll regret it, Human.” Without another word, Kitsune walked out of the room, down the stairs, and outside of the house.
______ ‘Why the hell’d you leave?! We had that [censored]!’ TJ yelled.
______Kitsune stopped in the street, “Don’t speak about your father like that!” TJ gasped in shock. “Clearly, he’s not the only one who needs to learn his place,” Kitsune sighed and continued walking down the street, “Death is not something to be taken so lightly, TJ. Your father is cruel man, but he’s still your father. You’re a Lycanthrope, but you’re still his son. I don’t understand what happened between you two, but it must have been something terrible to tear you so far apart.” Kitsune paused, “It’s the same with your friend… the one Taka possessed. I don’t believe you proved your strength in that fight. You only proved that your father’s teachings have corrupted you.”
______TJ listened closely to Kitsune’s words. He couldn’t deny that the God was right- and this scared him. He really killed someone today! He killed his own friend! He wasn’t like his father; he was much worse.
______ ‘What have I done?’ the boy sobbed, ‘How could I let this happen? And the others… if they find out-’
______ “Don’t worry, TJ,” Kitsune interrupted, “If it comes to that, I will take the blame. If I hadn’t asked you to fight, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place. But in return, you mustn’t do anything like that again, agreed? I know there’s good in you, TJ. You just need to allow yourself to release it.”
______ ‘Thank you…’ TJ mumbled, ‘Thank you, Kitsune!’
______The god turned to the forest and walked a good while in silence. The sky darkened until he could see the moon high above. Kitsune sat, leaning against a large tree and allowed TJ to retake control of their body.
______ ‘You’ve had a long day,’ Kitsune yawned, ‘You’ll be safe here, so get some sleep.’

— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Ten
END
— — — — — —

Chapter Eleven:


Click for Cast Sketches
------------
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— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Eleven
By: Jae
— — — — — —


______Robbie walked on the sidewalk, towards his house. Kuma had run most of the way after they left TJ and Kira, but he changed back into Robbie’s Human form so they wouldn’t scare his neighbors.
______ “I’m allowed to tell my family, right Kuma?” Robbie asked, speaking softly enough so no one he passed could hear.
______ ‘You may tell anyone you wish- so long as you trust them.’ He’d seen Robbie’s large family through the boy’s eyes; they seemed nice enough, but so did the families of his past partners. ‘Don’t you worry they might reject you if they know?’ Kuma asked.
______ “I don’t think they would,” Robbie replied, ‘Our family’s pretty close- even my stepmom is always so nice to me- I don’t think this will affect them in the least.” He paused as he walked past a Goat-Bestia who was jogging on the sidewalk. “My sister- the thirteen year old one I mean; Indy. She won’t be too upset… I’ve told her much worse things, and she still looks up to me. And in the end, I highly doubt anyone in my family will care about me turning into a Bestia.”
______ ‘That form is not what I worry about, Robbie. It’s the fact that you’re possessed by a god… and are risking your life to help said god.’ Kuma sighed, ‘If you need my assistance when explaining this to them, I will gladly offer it.’ The bear paused before a chuckle rose from his throat, ‘But those three youngsters had better not treat me as their play-thing!’
______Robbie let out a laugh before reminding himself that no one else could hear the god’s voice. Slightly embarrassed, he held a smile and continued walking in silence.

— — —

______As Robbie walked towards his house, he got the feeling that he was being watched. He kept looking over his shoulder, but no one stood out. Luckily, he was only three houses away. Then two houses away. Finally- after a good hour of walking, he was home. Robbie turned towards his house, and, with a sigh of relief, walked up the path to his door. But again, he felt that someone was watching him. He turned to look all around him. His front yard had a few bushes, but they were too small to hide behind. He then walked all the way around the tree in his yard. The trunk was thick, but no one was hiding behind. He slowly walked back to where he started and pondered.
______Suddenly, he heard a loud crack from above. He tried to look up into the thickly branched tree, but as he did, a branch fell towards him. The boy jumped back, dodging the tree branch, but was hit by something much heavier. A teenage Raccoon-Bestia screamed as she fell from the tree, down onto Robbie; his soft body cushioning her fall.
______ “Ah! I’m sorry, Robbie!!!” The Bestia cried, quickly jumping off of him. She reached out her dark hand to help him up.
______ “You-!” Robbie groaned, grabbing the young girl’s wrist where her dark skin lightened to a pale color, matching his, “How many more time are you gonna use me as a pillow, Indy?!”
______ “Maybe you should learn not to stand under the tree when I’m spying on you, Bro!” The raccoon laughed, winking one of her brown eyes; revealing the unique markings that shade the skin around her eyes. Though most Raccoon-Bestia simply have a dark circle around their eyes, Indy’s markings were shaped like upside-down water drops that started at her eyebrows and went halfway down her cheeks. The same teardrop-shaped stretch of shading occurred on her ankles and wrists; though her raccoon ears and tail were no different than any other Bestia’s. Her light gray-brown hair complimented her dark gray fur and black markings. Indy brushed her long bangs- the only aspect of her hair that she let grow past her shoulders- out of her face and grinned. “Where have you been, Robbie?” she asked, “The bus didn’t drop you off.”
______ “Yeah,” Robbie mumbled, “I have something I need to tell you about that- to tell the whole family, actually.” Indy cocked her head questionably. “Could you gather the triplets? I’ll get Dad and Mom.”

— — —

______Robbie had a generally large family. He used to be an only child, living with his father, Ben. But eight years ago, when Robbie was only ten, his father married a Raccoon-Bestia named Sophie who also brought her own daughter into the family. Indy, being only five at the time, grew exceedingly attached to Robbie. Four years later, Sophie had triplets; Alex, Jack, and Ashley- all Human. Each generation, less Bestia are being born because their animal features are a recessive trait when bred with Humans. Nonetheless, Robbie’s family was a close and happy one.

— — —

______Robbie paced back and forth in front of his family, trying to think of a way to explain everything to them. They were in the family room, where all ‘family meetings’ took place; his parents on the couch, the triplets laying close to them on the floor, and Indy sitting in a rocking chair next to a window. Robbie tried to focus- he’d planned exactly what to say, but now that he was here, it all seemed to be slipping away.
______ “What’s wrong, Robbie?” his stepmother asked, “You’re so tense. Did something happen at school?”
______He opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. The boy continued to pace, thinking of what to say until his eyes landed on the triplets.
______ “Ah!” Robbie said, finally, “Okay. So, you guys all know that, um, fairy tale, right? ‘The Legend of the Five Gods’?”
______Kuma cringed when Robbie called it a fairy tale.
______ “That’s my favorite one!” Alex exclaimed, in a surprisingly loud voice for his tiny body.
______ “I told them that bedtime-story several times… You were there the other night when I did,” his father said, “What about it?”
______Robbie sighed and began to pace again, “Well, what if I told you there’s more to the story? There’s another, um… character; a ‘princess’… and evil princess. And a curse too… that continues the so-called ‘fairy tale’?”
______ “I wanna hear the story!” Ashley and Jack screeched together, almost as loud as Alex.
______ “Robbie, is there a point?” Indy sighed, standing up, “If you just wanted to tell the triplets a story, you don’t need me here, do you? I’m gonna go watch TV.”
______ “No!” Robbie yelled, desperately, “Please, listen to me…” The Raccoon-girl could see this was hard for him and returned to her seat. “Well… this ‘curse.’ It revives the five elemental gods. They possess five humans… turn them into lycanthropes… and use their bodies to fight to the death. They do this every five hundred years, never finding a winner or even realizing what was happening to them…”
______ “Sounds like they’re not the smartest gods,” his father chuckled.
______Robbie gave a hard glare, “And… What if I told you…” he paused and transformed into his Bear-Bestia form, “That this so-called ‘fairy tale’ was true?”
______His family stared in shock. They looked him over, eyeing at his bear ears, his clawed fingers and toes, his thicker hair on his arms and legs. It wasn’t much of a change, but he was different; he looked like a Bear-Bestia. But he didn’t want to mislead them. Robbie allowed his family to take in that form, then moved onto his ‘true form’ as Kuma had called it; his lycanthrope form.
______A slight blue aura surrounded Robbie as he transformed. His clothes faded away as thick brown fur grew rapidly all over his body. His hands and feet shifted to paws with massive claws. His face grew a slight snout and his nose became dark, cold and moist. His Human hair remained, but blended with his fur. He slowly opened his brown eyes and gave a soft look towards his family, hoping he’d been right- hoping his family would not reject him.
______ “I… am the Human possessed by Kuma; the bear god,” he muttered, “This is who I am now… And I hope… you don’t hate me for that.”
______ “It’s… real?!” Ben muttered, eyes wide from shock, “You’re a… Bear thing!”
______ “How is this possible??” Sophie exclaimed, pulling the triplets closer to her.
______ “What do you mean ‘possessed’?” Indy asked, trying as hard as she could to stay calm, “Are you ‘Robbie’ or ‘Kuma’ or what??!”
______ “I’m Robbie!” he yelled, showing more of his sharp teeth than Indy had expected, she whimpered in fear and sunk into her seat. “I… I’m the same person… really. But Kuma’s soul is linked to mine… and he can transform into himself using my body. I know I sound insane, but it’s really me! Please…” he fell to his knees, “Don’t be scared of me..!”
______As he fell to their level, the triplets jumped onto the couch to hide behind their parents. Robbie stared, eyes half open, he was frozen in disbelief. His family was truly afraid of him; they cowered in their seats, too afraid to even run away. The triplets cried out in fear, gripping their parents as tightly as they could.
______ “Kuma…” he muttered, “I can’t lose them..!”

— — —

______Robbie was engulfed in a blinding blue light as Kuma took over his body. The bear’s brown eyes skimmed across the room, taking time to show the family he wasn’t going to attack. He lowered his ears and then his entire head. They seemed to be afraid of his massive body, so he tried to make himself smaller. The bear laid down on the carpet and kept his head low before speaking.
______ “I am Kuma, the elemental god of water. There is no reason to fear me; I would never harm a mortal without reason.”
______ “I thought you said you were Robbie! What happened to him? Where is he now??” Indy bravely asked.
______ “He is within me,” Kuma explained, “There are two separate minds in our one body. He can see and hear you; he just cannot reply on his own.”
______Kuma explained what had happened to the other gods and himself, trying not to give too much detail he thought would confuse or frighten them. He tried to find a way to talk them out of their fear. The bear spoke slowly and softly, doing all he could to show his sincere kindness. Alex tried to see Kuma better than from behind his mother. He climbed up onto the armrest, but was cautious, never taking his eyes off of Kuma. He inched forward until he lost his balance and stumbled right up to Kuma’s large paws. Sophie let out a cry of fear for her son but couldn’t bring herself to move. The child slowly turned to look up at Kuma.
______ “Good teddy-bear..?” Alex mumbled, “No bite?”
______Kuma let out a hearty laugh, “That’s right, kiddo,” he gently rubbed his soft head against Alex’s, “Teddy-bear isn’t going to hurt you.” Kuma looked to the rest of Robbie’s family and then back to Alex. “Teddy-bear is here to protect you,” he smiled.





— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Eleven
END
— — — — — —

EDIT: Added more to the chapter, rather than having two short chapters I simply added it to this one. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Chapter Twelve:

Click for Cast Sketches

------------
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— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Twelve
By: Jae
— — — — — —




_____ Storm clouds covered the sky and Petra could feel the electricity flowing throughout her body. The girl grinned, looking at the sky from her front porch; an oncoming storm filled her with excitement. Her catlike ears twitched as she heard a clock gong from inside her silent house, letting her know it was three o’clock. Had she gone to school she’d be getting home now, she thought; had she not been a Bestia, she might have gone.
_____ “The one day I skip school, I miss my chance to fight Taka,” Petra scoffed, “I really wish this didn’t turn me into a Cat, Neko. I wanted to prove I was better than all the others… Now I can only fight three more of them.”
_____ ‘You’ll get your chance, my dear. Don’t you worry,’ Neko assured her, ‘When we win, Elizabeth will become a Queen, and you will be the one treated as a Princess. The whole world will worship and adore you; but you must be patient.’
_____ “And what about that ‘Tatsu’ guy; where is he in all this?” she asked.
_____ ‘I’ve asked you to call him Lord Tatsu,’ Neko said, a slight growl in his voice, ‘He is a Dragon-God of Inanis; a God who’s existence is much more important than you could ever imagine. And though you are a sacred Lycanthrope of Solum, you must give him the respect he deserved. You must also not question him- he will show himself when he wishes. Have faith in him and you will be rewarded, Petra.’
_____ A flash of light raced across the sky and the rumble of thunder soon followed. Rain began to fall; slowly at first, but it became much harder as the wind blew more. The sky darkened except for a few flashes of lightning.

— — —

_____ The human half of Petra’s mind forced her to go inside the empty house. She poured a glass of milk and sat at the dining room table. Petra let out a long, drawn-out sigh and began to think about her situation. If she really went through with this, would it be worth it? Her parents were always out of town, she hated them for that; she had no reason to miss them. But losing her friends would be a different story entirely. They were the only people she had even been able to be open with. There were times she couldn’t stand them; but they always made up. Kira brought them together in middle school, and since then she’d been the gravity that kept their friendship intact. But now with the gods possessing them, there would be no happy ending for them as a whole.
_____ Petra would win, she thought, she had to! She either kills the others and is eternally rewarded, or honors their friendship and experience the horror of betrayal when they turn on her. Those were the options given to her by Princess Elizabeth and Neko. But why were they all speaking for this ‘Lord Tatsu’? If he was really such a kind and loving god, why does he hide behind them? Neko speaks of him with so much respect, so why can’t they even talk to him directly? These questions have flooded Petra’s mind for the past week, but she never once lost faith that what Neko says is truth. She will win this fight and she will be eternally rewarded.
_____ “Neko,” Petra said, “I want to fight Kira tomorrow. She might cause problems if she sticks around too long.”
_____ ‘Certainly, Petra,’ Neko agreed, ‘This will all be over soon enough, my dear, and when it is you will be loved by the entire world. You will never again feel fear or sadness, not if I can help it.’
_____ “Thank you, Neko…” Petra mumbled, a faint smile on her face.
mumbled a faint smile on her face.

— — —

_____ “Poor thing…” Liz said softly, kneeling next to Korith’s body, “You didn’t stand a chance in that weak Bestia form, did you..?” She gently put her hand on the Hawk-Bestia’s shoulder and continued, “How did you expect to protect your girlfriend like that, hmm?”
_____ A rumble of thunder rolled across the clouds and a light rain began to fall, washing some blood from Korith’s wounds. Liz slowly lowered herself over the boy to whisper in his ear.
_____ “Won’t you wake up?” she whispered, “Come now, Taka, this is no time to nap…” A long grin spread across Liz’s face, “Awww… too~ bad.”
_____ The princess looked around the area. Whoever did this was smart enough to do it behind the school; no one had managed to find the body yet, and this corpse was proof that her plan was working. The gods were still blindly following orders given to them five thousand years ago. It won’t be long before they’ve slain each other, leaving her to reap the benefits once again. She will spend as much time as possible near them- absorbing their magic until they are all gone. Then it will be easy to reclaim her place as Queen of Solum, as she’d done so many times before. A simple memory-loss spell will erase her sin from the world’s history before she dies her inevitable human death, allowing her to do it all over again in the next life.
To stop history from repeating itself, you must learn from it.
To learn from your history, you must remember it.
_____ Liz held her hand over Korith’s corpse and it began to fade away. She removed the evidence of the god’s existence; it was best kept a fairy tale to the mortals. This would make it easier for her to take control later on. Tatsu certainly wasn’t going to stop her. He wouldn’t dare go near her for fear of losing the little power he has left. If he is powerless, he is no longer a god and this world would cease to exist. Tatsu was too foolishly kind to do such a thing to his people.
_____ “Heh, Tatsu…” Liz mumbled, walking away from the school, “Where are you hiding now, I wonder? Still too embarrassed of that form to go back to Inanis? Heh, don’t you worry, I’ll take great care of Solum for you!”



— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Twelve
By: Jae
— — — — — —

Chapter Thirteen:

Click for Cast Sketches

------------
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— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Thirteen
By: Jae
— — — — — —


_____ Kira rushed through the thick forest, running as fast as her Lycanthrope legs would go. The sound of wolves howling surrounded her. She leaped over logs and dashed under branches. She ran through the last row of trees and found herself in a large, grassy field.
_____ “Th- This is it!” Kira cheered.
_____ She ran to the center of the field and approached three boulders that were far enough apart for her to walk around comfortably between them. She trotted to the center and began to dig frantically with her sharp claws.
_____ “Yes!” she grunted, unearthing a small box. The wolf-girl quickly opened it and was shocked to see it was empty.
_____ “Looking for this?” a voice from behind laughed.
_____ Kira turned to see Petra, standing tall in her Cat-Lycanthrope form, holding a green gem in her paw. “Give it back!” Kira shouted, “It belongs to Ookami! Not you!”
_____ “That dog doesn’t deserve a jewel as precious as this!” Petra laughed, “If you get it, you’ll summon the dragon and end the fight! I want to win this war so that Neko and I can live together, forever in the palace with the wonderful Princess Elizabeth!”
_____ “You’re wrong!” Kira cried, “He’s going to kill you too!!!”
_____ Petra hissed and transformed into a giant white cat; Neko. “Goodbye, Ookami,” the cat grinned, sending bolts of lightning down onto Kira.
_____ Kira screamed in pain as the electricity exploded upon her body. All she could see was Neko laughing in the distance, and she could do nothing to save herself; she could do nothing but scream until it all turned black.

— — —

_____ Kira let out a scream of sheer terror as she jumped up in her bed. She frantically looked in all directions and began recognizing the furniture and decorations that surrounded her, telling her she was safe in her own bedroom. Her eyes made it to the mirror and she saw she was in her Bestia form, reminding her that her dream was half-true; Ookami still possessed her. Kira panted heavily, trying to calm herself.
_____ ‘Are you alright, kid?’ Ookami quickly asked.
_____ “Kira??” Keno cried, opening her bedroom door, “What’s wrong?!”
_____ Kira’s eyes froze when they landed on her brother, “Keno? I-” she tried to catch her breath, “Was it… just a dream?”
_____ Keno sighed and sat next to her, “Kira… you know that stuff isn’t real… Get back to sleep, okay? It’s late…” he patted her shoulder softly.
_____ “It was… so real…” she mumbled, “Sorry for waking you, Keno… Good night.” Keno smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him. “Sorry Ookami,” Kira added, lying down, “G’night.”

— — —
_____ The next morning, Kira woke up almost screaming again. This time, Keno didn’t hear her cries of fear, but Ookami found the situation quite humorous.
_____ ‘You were running in your sleep,’ Ookami teased.
_____ “It was the… the same nightmare,” Kira moaned.
_____ ‘You were digging in your pillow,’ he continued.
_____ “P- Petra!” Kira exclaimed, “Petra was there! And she… she stole… something.”
_____ Ookami’s tone became much more serious. He questioned her endlessly about this dream. Kira told him everything she could remember, but her memory was fading fast. She described the thick forest, the large field, and the strange green gem that was stolen from her.
_____ ‘Kira, I believe your dream was a sort of… vision. The ‘green gem’ you mentioned is likely the Emerald of Earth- our piece of the Arcane Pendant.’
_____ “Really? Well, what does that mean? What do we do now?” Kira asked, “I don’t know where I was in the dream… I just know that it was some forest.”
_____ ‘We’ll find it, kid,’ Ookami assured her, ‘Get out of this bed and get ready, we’ll go search for it today. We must find it as soon as possible.’

— — —
_____ Kira waited for Keno to leave for work before she got ready to search for the Emerald of Earth. She didn’t want him worrying over her. She went to the basement of her house. It was unfinished and used only for storage; though the main things in it were an old mattress and a wall lined with boxes. But Kira’s main reason for showing this to Ookami was the sliding-glass door that his large form could fit through.
_____ “See, Ookami?” Kira said, motioning towards the door, “If you- or the other gods- needed to, this would be perfect; you can fit through that door. If we ever need to meet up, I think this room would work.”
_____ ‘Alright, kid,’ Ookami replied, ‘this could work. Dire animals aren’t exactly subtle; this would be a great place to relax. That invisibility spell we use can be tiring.’
_____ Kira smiled faintly and transformed into her Lycanthrope form. “Ready?” she asked, opening the door.
_____ ‘Lead the way, kid,’ Ookami said warmly.

— — —

_____ Kira walked through the woods for a good while before realizing she had no idea where she was going. Finally, Ookami suggested asking for directions. At first, Kira didn’t know what he meant, but it quickly became clear. The wolf-girl closed her eyes and let out a long howl, and it didn’t take long for her to receive a response. Almost instantly, she heard howls replying to hers, and within minutes she was surrounded by six wolves; Zuli’s pack.
_____ “Hey, it’s the Lycan’,” one wolf yipped.
_____ “She’s back!” another cheered.
_____ ‘Well, look at that,’ Ookami chuckled, ‘you’re famous to these wolves.’
_____ Kira laughed, but knew they only wanted to see Ookami.
_____ “Zuli, Zuli! Look, its Kira!” the first wolf barked.
_____ “So I see,” Zuli smiled, “Hello Kira. How have you been?”
_____ “I’m good,” Kira said warmly, “And you guys?”
_____ “We’ve been well,” Zuli replied, “We just finished a hunt. Our pack brought down a buck, would you care for some meat? I believe there is some left.”
_____ “No… thanks…” Kira said, trying not to offend them, “But I do need your help.”
_____ Kira told Zuli about the jewel she needed to find. She didn’t tell him what it was for, but the fact that Ookami desired it was enough for the wolf. Kira described the large field she saw in her dream, but the wolves only knew of a small clearing that resembled her description. It had three large stones in it, as Kira had seen in her dream; though they were spread out, not close together in the exact center as she’d described. Zuli offered to take her there anyway, hoping her vision had been simply exaggerated. The pack returned to their meal while Kira and Zuli walked off into the thicker parts of the forest.
_____ “I do hope this is the right place,” Zuli said, trying to make conversation, “We often hunt deer there. Those wretched beasts are always destroying out beautiful grass…”
_____ ‘Kira, send Zuli back to his pack,’ Ookami said, ‘We can make it from here without him. I don’t want to put him in danger, if something… happens.’
_____ Kira relayed the message and though Zuli was reluctant, he obeyed, leaving Kira to continue onward towards her destination.

— — —

_____ The forest became more and more familiar. Kira hopped over logs and crawled under branches. She began walking on all fours to make the journey easier. Finally, she emerged through the last row of trees and found herself in a small, grassy clearing.
_____ “Th- This is it!” Kira cheered.
_____ She trotted to the center of the clearing and saw the three stones spread out around her. Unsure of the exact location, Kira began to dig slowly, using her sharp claws, hoping for the best.
_____ “Yes!” she grunted, unearthing a small box. The wolf-girl quickly opened it and was shocked to see it was empty.
_____ ‘Where is it?!’ Ookami growled.
_____ “Looking for this?” a voice from behind laughed.
_____ Kira turned and saw Petra, standing tall in her Cat-Lycanthrope form, holding a green gem in her paw. “Give it back!” Kira growled, “It belongs to Ookami! Not you! You don’t even have a use for it, why would you want it in the first place?!”
_____ “That’s where you’re wrong. That dog doesn’t deserve a jewel as precious as this!” Petra laughed, “Robbie told me what you’re doing; that idiot thought I’d actually help you. If you get it, you’ll summon the dragon and end the fight! Well the Princess and Lord Tatsu want us to fight! I won’t disobey them. I will win this war so that Neko and I can live together, forever in the palace with the wonderful Princess Elizabeth!”
_____ Kira froze as the memories of her dream returned. “Y- You’re wrong!” Kira cried, “Petra, please listen to me! I’m your friend! I don’t want to see you hurt!”
_____ “Don’t worry about that Kira. You’re the one who’s going to die!” the girl grinned, “We’re not friends anymore and I won’t hesitate to kill you!”
_____ “Petra…” Kira sighed, “He’s going to kill you too! Neko is lying to you! Please, believe me!”
_____ Petra hissed and transformed into a giant white cat; Neko. “Goodbye, Ookami,” the cat grinned, sending a single bolt of lightning down to Kira.
_____ “Kira!” cried a voice from behind, “NO!!!”




— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Thirteen
End
— — — — — —

Chapter Fourteen:

Click for Cast Sketches

------------
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— — — — — —
The Five Gods: Chapter Fourteen
By: Jae
— — — — — —




_____ “Kira! ” cried a voice from behind, “NO!!! ”
_____ TJ charged towards Kira using his Lycanthrope form’s great speed and tackled the girl, shoving her away from the cat’s attack. The boy screamed in pain as electricity exploded upon his body. Kira rushed to him as soon as the attack ended. Kneeling over him, she could do nothing but stare in disbelief.
_____ “Ki- ra… are y- you alright?” TJ muttered, unable to even look up at her.
_____ “Th… Thank you…” she whispered. Kira stood and turned to face Neko, “Why are you doing this, Petra? We’ve been friends for years! You’re not going to win anything by betraying us! I can’t believe you let that happen to Korith just because Neko said to!”
_____ Neko laughed, “Taka? Hah! I hate to disappoint you, Wolf, but your little friend there beat me to it.”
_____ “What?” Kira gasped, “TJ, is that… true?!”
_____ The fox boy struggled to look her in the eyes, “K- Kira I… I’m so… sorry… P- Please, don’t… h- hate… me…”
_____ “And he did it all to get close to you! How cute,” Neko laughed, walking closer.
_____ TJ killed Korith? TJ killed him?! And he lied to Kira’s face about it! Why? Why would he do that? It was bad enough losing Korith, but now TJ was as good as dead to her. She turned and walked away from the injured fox. Anger and sorrow flooded her mind; she didn’t know which emotion was stronger.
_____ “Aw, don’t worry, Wolf!” Neko said, slowly walking closer, “I can help you ease the pain.” The cat began to grin, wrapping one paw around her shoulder as if to hug her.
_____ “Korith…” she whimpered quietly.
_____ “Yes, yes, I know it’s sad.” The cat began to extend his claws slowly.
_____ ‘Kira!’ Ookami barked.
_____ Kira quickly looked up and realized what Neko was doing. “Ookami!!!” she cried.
_____ Ookami quickly transformed into his Dire Wolf form and scratched Neko’s paw away. He jumped back and stood baring his teeth at the lightning god.
_____ “Don’t you even touch her again!” Ookami barked, “And you!” he growled, turning to TJ who glanced up in fear, “You lied to us. You said you wanted to help! You’re just as bad as Neko!” The wolf slowly walked over to TJ who was trembling from both fear and pain.
_____ “O- Ookami…” the boy muttered, “Please… I’m sorry! Kira… please!”
_____ “You’re not sorry. You’re just trying to save yourself. If you really cared for Kira, you would have listened to her. Both of you!” he snapped, turning back to Neko. “Now, Neko, give me the Emerald of Earth! You have no use for it!”
_____ “Do you really think I’ll just hand it over?” Neko smirked.
_____ Ookami howled as several large roots arose from the earth and wrapped around the cat. Roses sprouted from the roots to entangle him even more.
_____ “I hate that spell…” the cat growled as the rose thorns began to puncture his flesh.
_____ “Hand it over,” Ookami growled again, commanding the roots to grip tighter.
_____ “Heh, I’m not the one holding it. You have to convince her.” Neko began to glow and transform into Petra’s Bestia form. The girl gave a look of shock as she squirmed, trying to free herself. The roots squeezed tighter and tighter and the thorns ripped easily through her skin.
_____ “Why hello, Petra was it?” Ookami growled walking closer.
_____ “Get away from me, you Dog!” Petra yelled, unable to hide her fear.
_____ “Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you… assuming you behave. First things first; give me my gem!” Petra scowled and turned her head away. “Be a good kitty or you’ll have to be punished.” The roots gripped tighter, causing Petra to let out a cry of pain. “Oh, did that hurt?” Ookami laughed, “How about this?!” The thorns grew longer, stabbing her even more.
_____ “I can’t give it to you if I can’t move my arm!” Petra hissed. Ookami released the grip slightly and Petra threw the jewel to his feet. The wolf pulled it closer and held his paw over it. “You still won’t win this!” Petra grinned faintly.
_____ “Oh, yeah? What could stop us?”
_____ “Korith,” Petra smirked, “Who’s going to find his piece? Your plan failed the second his blood hit the ground. There’s no way to complete the Arcane Pendant without him! And while you try, Neko and I will win this war together!”
_____ Ookami Growled, “We’ll find it. I know we will.” He turned back to TJ and swatted the jewel to him with his paw. “You have hands… take this.” The fox struggled to a sitting position and picked it up. “Here…” Ookami said softly, lowing himself to his belly next to the fox-boy, “Get on. You’re in no condition to be walking.” TJ silently obeyed, pulling himself onto the Wolf’s back. “And you, Petra? Do you still believe what Neko says to you?”
_____ “He’s probably the only real friend I’ve ever had!” Petra yelled.
_____ “Then let him get you out of that.” Ookami growled, starting to walk away.
_____ ‘Ookami…’ Kira whimpered.
_____ The wolf sighed, “You can thank Kira, your true friend for this.” Ookami released the spell and ran off.
_____ “Kira…” Petra muttered, falling to her knees, “I don’t need your help! You’re not my friend!!!”

— — —

_____ Ookami ran all the way back to Kira’s house without saying a word; TJ gripped the wolf tightly, trying to fight both the physical and emotional pain. Ookami managed to open the sliding glass door and walked over to an old mattress that was leaning against the wall.
_____ “You can rest on this,” the wolf said coldly as he knocked the mattress over onto the floor. He lay next to it so TJ could slide onto the mattress easily.
_____ “Ookami,” TJ murmured, “I’m… sorry. I don’t even know why I did it. I kept telling myself it was for Kira, but… I still knew it was wrong. I… killed one of my best friends!”
_____ “TJ, you don’t need to explain anything to me. It’s Kira’s forgiveness you’ll have to win. You were only doing what your instincts told you, Lycanthropes were created to fight in this battle, that’s what their minds will tell them to do. You are no exception, and neither is Kira or Petra. And I’m sure Korith fought back,” Ookami sighed, casting a healing spell on TJ, “The sooner we end this the better. Then you should all go back to the way you were before… when you were nothing more than average humans.” Ookami walked towards the stairs and carefully climbed his way up, “Stay here. Try to relax; you’ll heal faster that way.” The wolf was silent as he maneuvered himself through the small house, but managed to make it to Kira’s room where he transformed into Kira’s Bestia form and let her take control.

— — —

_____ The first thing Kira felt was the harsh burn of salty tears draining from her eyes. She sat on her bed, hugging her pillow; holding her face to it to muffle the sounds of her loud sobbing. ‘Korith! Korith! Korith!!!’ was all she could mutter. Through her blinding tears, all she could see was his face, smiling back at her as if nothing was wrong. She heard his soft voice trying to calm her- ‘Kira… why are you crying? Don’t worry, I’m here now… so you don’t need to cry anymore, okay?’ these phrases, all aspects of her memories, were just her mind trying to protect itself. Kira was smart enough to know this, but still she tried to exploit it- forcing herself to think more about him.
_____ He’d known what she was all along; he’d tried to tell her, in his shy way, but she was too caught up in her own drama to realize he was in pain too. He was there from the very beginning, but she only realized it now. He’d asked her to talk to him, skipping class to do so; they hid together in the space under the stairs of the school. He tried to convince her that Liz was the cause of their pain- the strange pain that burned a ring around their necks, almost like a collar, like the control she seemed to have over the animal gods. He was right all along. And in the hospital, how could she have been so stupid? Their injuries were from a fight between Ookami and Taka. How could she have not realized this sooner?
_____ She was too naïve; she couldn’t figure it out until she saw him talking to Liz. He was in pain then too and she couldn’t protect him; she was too afraid to move, yet he stood up to his attacker- he refused to obey Liz no matter what she did. He could do that for her, but Kira couldn’t even bring herself to tell him what she was. He’d convinced Taka to avoid the fight, while she allowed Ookami to run rampant.
_____ Kira gasped as she realized she’d been holding her breath. The sobbing slowed, but wouldn’t stop. “Korith…” she murmured, trying to control her breathing and stop the tears. As much as her heart wanted to cry, she knew it wouldn’t bring him back; though she truly wished it would.
_____ ‘Is there anything I can do, Kid?’ Ookami asked softly.
_____ “Not unless you can bring him back…” she sobbed.
_____ ‘I’m sorry, Kira.’ He sighed, ‘Death is something I cannot heal. Nor can I heal the pain you’re in right now… But you’ve got to pull yourself together. We have too much to worry about in the future; we don’t have much time to dwell on the past. I’m sorry, but that’s just how it is.’
_____ “I don’t want to see TJ’s face!” Kira snapped, “I can’t believe he could do something like that! And then lie to me about it! He blamed Petra, he made me hate her; I feel so horrible for that!”
_____ ‘Kira…if you hate him for this… I understand. But we still need him. We need to work together; we need to end this,’ Ookami sighed, ‘if you won’t do it for him, or for your other friends; then do it for me. Help both me and the ones predestined to be cursed in the future.’
_____ “…for you,” Kira muttered, the tears finally coming to a stop, “I’ll do it for you, Ookami; no one else. You’re the only real friend I have anymore.”
_____ The wolf sighed again. ‘You know that’s not true,’ he whispered, too quiet for her to hear.

— — —

_____ Slowly, Kira made her way downstairs, and saw that TJ was in the living room, waiting for her. His wounds looked much better, thanks to Ookami’s magic, but his inner pain was clear on his face.
_____ “Kira…” he said, softly.
_____ She quickly turned to hide her face. “Why were you there… in the forest? Were you following me or something..?” she tried to make her voice sound cold, but instead it cracked, still sore from her sobbing.
_____ “I wasn’t following you, Kira… Well, I wasn’t until I heard you and those other wolves howling. I was in the woods all night. My dad found out about me, and I had to leave…”
_____ She glanced over, shocked. Kira had forgotten about TJ’s father; the man was racist against Bestia, he hated them with a deep passion. That must have been horrible for TJ, being forced out of his house by his own parent. Sympathy began to overcast her anger, but Kira fought back as much as she could. He didn’t deserve sympathy; not from her. But at the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to throw him out into the cold.
_____ “TJ,” she said; a low growl in her voice, “You can stay here, if you need to.” I’m not doing it for you; she added in her mind, I’m only doing this to help Ookami. For him, I won’t fight you. For him, I won’t kill you.





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The Five Gods: Chapter Fourteen
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