Dying to Live

Needles clicked a steady tempo as Gwendal tried desperately to rein his towering emotions. Gwendal did not deal with his emotions on principle. They troubled him and drained his energy. “My skin is crawling.” Gwendal mused looking at his right hand that was starting to shake uncontrollably. The crash and breaking of a mirror pushed Gwendal out of himself.





“Before Gunter left he went to see Ulrike.” Gwendal dropped his knitting. “She has to know something.” Gwendal practically ran from the room, as bad omens seemed to be occurring all around him. “Please let him be okay.” Gwendal wished fervently as he hurried to the Hall of Oracles.





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Ulrike stepped back her eyes widening at Hisao’s salacious expression. Behind her, she heard someone calling her name but nothing existed but her and the man others knew as Hisao.





“Look who it is.” Hisao smiled winningly at Ulrike. “The lovely temple maiden, what do you call yourself now, hmmm?”





“I should be asking you that?” Ulrike retorted trying and failing to keep the faint tremor out of her voice.





“ULRIKE!” Wolfram yelled running to where he could see a man towering over Ulrike’s petite form. Drawing his sword Wolfram called a challenge.





“Ulrike is it?” Hisao smiled into Ulrike’s eyes before turning his gaze to the charging blonde, who stopped at the head of the steps. Emerald eyes clashed with honey brown as memories rushed to the fore.





“You!” Wolfram growled his voice trembling in rage.





“Well, if it isn’t the baby of the family, little Wolfie.” Hisao clapped in amusement. “Wolfie has finally grown some teeth but does he use them well I wonder.” Hisao paused putting a finger to his chin in a pantomime of deep thought.





“Leave.” Ulrike commanded her voice squeaking out.





“I am a traveler not of this place; whatever shall I do without your hospitality?” Hisao asked his smile turning dangerous.





“You heard her, leave!” Wolfram commanded bracing himself to attack.





“I have overstayed my welcome already haven’t I?” Hisao chuckled letting his chin rest on his chest briefly. Looking at the petite pair from beneath his eyelashes, Hisao felt an idea forming. “If I must go I shall take a souvenir, so which shall it be, Wolfie or the fair maiden?”





“No!” Wolfram shouted throwing a ball of fire at Hisao. Hisao neatly caught it and smiled.





“Have you ever seen water on fire?” Hisao asked twirling the fire around his fingertips. “The steam is so hot it can melt your flesh off if you are in the water.” Hisao returned the volley of fire with a laugh. It hit Wolfram and slammed him into a pillar.





“That is enough!” Ulrike cried running to Wolfram’s side.





“I’ll say when it is enough.” Hisao spoke his voice hard. “As much as I have enjoyed this interlude it must come to an end. Therefore, I shall repeat the question in a way you can understand. Who comes with me and who is left to deliver a message?”





“You aren’t getting either of us.” Wolfram growled standing with Ulrike’s aide. Holding a hand to his bleeding side, he tried to focus on the wavering image before him.





“Bold talk, Wolfie but where’s your action?” Hisao mocked his eyes glinting dangerously.





“He is not the one you need to worry about.” The dark voice spoke quietly. Hisao slowly turned to face Shori, Yuuri, Gunter and Murata. Murata was sitting piggyback on Shori. Gunter was fairly glowing with a dangerous light.





“Bravo!” Hisao clapped laughing at their appearance. “The heroes are here to save the day.”





“Stuff it Hisao, you are about to get what’s coming to you.” Yuuri’s voice floated out dark and commanding. His hair floating on the wind as his feet floated on the water.





“You have committed many atrocities in both worlds and are thus charges with crimes of rape, destruction and other crimes against the state.” Shori spoke with an air of command and hidden danger. The walls of the oracles hall shook with his furor. “How do you plead?”





“Guilty as charged.” Hisao crowed his eyes crinkling with mirth. “It should amuse you to know that I have slept with everyone here baring you, little Wolfie and the fair maiden. This has the potential to be an awkward trial.”





“The information you provide is not relevant to current events.” Yuuri’s voice cracked through the air like a whip.





“Here in your kingdom, Heika it does.” Hisao smiled. “I claim sanctuary and since I was allowed to enter here, I can stay.”





“You lie!” Yuuri roared readying to strike.





“He speaks the truth.” Ulrike whispered horrified by this change of events, effectively stilling Yuuri’s hand. “To break the claim of sanctuary would destroy the hall itself.”





“Very useful things these religious places.” Hisao smiled to himself as he walked up the short set of stairs leading away from the pool of water. He stopped at the column next to the one Wolfram was propped against. “If only we hadn’t been interrupted.” Hisao’s smile held a dangerous promise. Wolfram wisely put himself and Ulrike on the other side of the column away from him.





“Is there really nothing we can do?” Shori demand angrily.





“Ulrike has the right of it.” Murata murmured soothingly as Shori and Yuuri both came down.





“To strike him after he has declared sanctuary would be to strike oneself down, as well.” Gunter spoke in a carefully measured tone his eyes glowing dangerously.





“I could have killed him before he declared sanctuary!” Wolfram fumed at Ulrike, wincing as he tried to straighten remembering his injury.





“Wolfram you are to stay away from him at all costs do you hear me?” Yuuri yelled splashing water as he hurried to his spouse.





“Gwendal must be informed.” Gunter spoke wearily.





“Of more than just Hisao’s return it would seem.” Murata spoke quietly and Shori studied Gunter thoughtfully.





Something in Gunter’s posture set off an alarm in Shori’s head. After a moment Shori knew, “It all started with you didn’t it?” Shori asked shifting Murata a little higher on his back. Murata’s arms tightened around his neck slightly.





“Honestly I don’t know but this will end with me and him. One of our souls will never return and one shall be born in the form of the others most prized possession.” Gunter spoke slowly his words a solemn oath. Shori felt Murata’s body tremor slightly as the wind picked up.





Ulrike rushed through the temple determined to keep an eye on Hisao, in order to alert the appropriate people when he was no longer on the grounds. Ulrike ducked behind a pillar and peeked around it. Hisao had stopped at one of the entrances.





Moving hesitantly towards a window further down the hall Ulrike peeked through it and her eyes widened.





Gwendal strolled up the pathway patting his stomach lightly to comfort himself and gather his nerve. The doorway in front of him slowly opened. Gwendal turned his eyes toward it a greeting forming on his lips.





“Hello, Gwendal.” Hisao called sneering, as the General turned as gray as his hair. “It has been too long. Now you are pregnant. You have managed to move on well with your life.”





Gwendal took a step back his grey eyes widening, his hand resting protectively on his stomach. “Hisao I assume you are under sanctuary?” Gwendal asked evenly.





“So formal Gwen, when we are such old friends.” Hisao mocked walking slowly down the stairs. Pausing at the last step Hisao teasingly shifted his weight. “Let’s chat. Who would knock up a dirty little rag like you?” Hisao tapped his chin in thought pacing the width of the step.





“I don’t see how it is any concern of yours.” Gwendal retorted his eyes flashing. “He obviously was much more than adequate in some areas.”





“Or do you mean more willing to accept second best.” Hisao jibbed, clasping his hands behind his back, his head tilted calculating and appraising. Ulrike cursed her height as she struggled to see more clearly through the window. Giving up she hurried to the entrance, catching sight of Gunter sailing towards it out of her peripheral.





“No someone who could love me, who could see me, an imperfect person perfectly.” Gwendal smiled peacefully as he realized something. “Gunter loves me and I love him. Nothing you could do could change that.”





Hisao’s eyes glinted dangerously at the mention of the name. A wave of hate surged forth. Ulrike’s screams mingled with Gwendal’s as the blade Hisao had hidden at his back found its mark.