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Chapter 6

The desert was cruel this time of the year. Not to say at any other time it was unforgiving but during the hottest months it became a waste where anyone who stepped into it was more likely to die than survive. These were the months where Kabal closed its gates and they were only opened for the brave adventurers to step into when their impossible journey had come to an end.

Raine bravely led the white wolf brothers through the dunes without fear. He cursed the sea of sand, goading it into trying to destroy that which was already broken. Regardless of what it threw at them they continued their journey through the harsh heat of the day and the frigid cold of the night for three days before they reached the stagnant oasis.

The place reeked of decaying algae but at least there was water. Animals often came here as well meaning they would have food soon enough. Settling in amongst the starved trees around the little unrefined gem of the sand, the three finally had an opportunity to rest. Panting, ragged and wounded the three settled in making a camp out of fallen debris from the trees as well as a few palm fronds.

"I... I am Isfa... and my brother is Kamui," Said one of the wolf twins as he sat down next to the fennec. Raine looked surprised as the wolf spoke and it took him a few moments to realize that once the collars had been taken off they were gifted their voices back.

The other twin sat down next to the black and white fennec putting an arm over the much smaller canine, "Isfa and I owe you our most deepest of thanks for freeing us when you had the chance. Surely that monster would have let us die to save himself."

Raine nodded slowly looking down at the water's edge, "Qab will come for us... I can only assume as the captain of the guard. I am sorry but I do not know our fate yet..."

"Take heart little one. As we shielded you from the worst of the storm you will show compassion to us. I am sure your captain will look upon us kindly when he can," Replied Isfa with a smile before looking to his brother and nodding. They saw the pain in Raine's eyes though were unsure of the source.

Raine couldn't stop seeing what he had done to Alkaid over and over in his mind. The pain they saw was fear. He was terrified of himself and what he now was capable of doing to another living breathing person. It didn't matter that Alkaid was a terrible man, he still tortured and left the man for dead.

The fennec closed his eyes folding his ears back as he hugged his legs close to his chest, "I tortured him... I became him. Sunk to his level. I deserve no praise for what I did. I became a monster and... and I... I enjoyed it."

The brothers looked at each other folding their ears back as they reached toward once another holding the fennec between them as Kamui whispered softly into Raine's ear, "Bad things happen to bad people. You were the hand of Karma giving him the fate he deserved. I know you don't see it that way and believe yourself to be a demon now but your redemption was saving these two lives that could have easily been snuffed out. Karma will smile upon you."

"He loves you... That's all you need to know little one. A person possessed with that kind of devotion can move mountains. You will be saved from this nightmare," Said isfa softly into the other ear as they held the broken frame of what used to be one of the best alchemists in the world between them.

Raine closed his eyes a little tighter as he was held remaining quiet and shivering between the brothers. He felt their hearts beating and heard each breath, a constant reminder that they lived and it was because he had warned them during the escape. He heard one take a deep breath and his eyes opened wide at what happened next.

The brother's began to sing a song line by line in a tune that reached into Raine's heart calming him but forcing tears to his eyes. Each tear that fell was like a weight removed from his very soul as the wind around them began to whip up from the song.

"Captured for a wrong not done

Tortured in a hell by one

One hero rose to face the dark

And on our hearts has left his mark

We sing his ballad for all to hear

For its song be heard through all our years

Raine the champion of the weak

A man who safety always seeks

Saved from the clutches of slavery

Risen to destroy debauchery

A hero for the ages"

Lights of colors Raine had never seen before floated about as they continued to sing and the fennec quickly came to a realization. The brothers had their voices taken as it was their magic. They had to be bards and from their skill he could tell they were two of the most talented to ever travel the lands. Slowly the magic began to fade as the brothers continued to hold their companion as he cried all the pain and sorrow over the past few months out. It was like their song was healing the wounds and scars on his very soul.

Eventually the fennec simply couldn't take it anymore and fell asleep. The brothers nodded to one another setting him down in the sand before looking out to the desert putting their paws on their hips.

"So what now brother mine," Asked Isfa as they looked out at the sunset smiling.

"I suppose we pick up where we left off. I hear that the north is beautiful this time of the year. Let us explore the mountains and sing songs of the climbers," Replied Kamui.

Isfa looked to his brother and chuckled softly, "It will be hard to get through the desert brother."

"Our music will be our guide dear brother. We needn't worry."

The two left the fennec asleep on his bed of palm fronds covering him with a few before gathering up water for the journey and leaving into the night. Many say the brothers became the most well known bards in the world. Their songs had become folk songs letting all know that their legacy went on beyond the deserts. To their last days they sung the ballad of the slave turned hero hopping in their secret hearts that it was true.

Days passed and when Qab didn't show himself Raine began to worry. He feared for his lover's life when on the fourth day a caravan passed by the oasis. The fennec was able to avoid detection and steal clothing from their carts so he could stay warm at night and cover his shame. On the seventh day Raine got the answer to his worries.

Guards showed up at the oasis searching it for what he knew to be him. Hiding beneath the palm fronds Raine watched them destroy the camp shouting to one another to find the escaped slave. Was this Qab's plan? He knew that Qab leaving himself might look suspicious but at the same time the fennec had a bad feeling about all of this.

He felt a boot tread on his tail and couldn't help but yelp knowing that now he had to fight his way out of this. The fennec leapt from the leaves his eyes aglow with energy as he whipped up the sand in a powerful blast blinding the guard so that he could steal the scimitar he held. Leaping at the second guard the dark one rammed the sword through the man watching the color fade in the guard's eyes.

The sword caught fire as the fennec channeled his power into it and leapt at the third and fourth unfortunate prey spinning at incredible speeds he dispatched them leaving them to cry on the ground as their severed limbs lay beside them. It was the fifth one hidden in the brush that caught Raine in the neck with the hilt of his blade and knocked the fennec out.

The alchemist heard talking but it seemed distant and muffled. Opening his eyes the world was just a wash of colors in shapes that had little definition. His head pounded and he knew he had been drugged. The voices started to become more clear, one of them chilling and raspy while the other seemed to have a powerful and commanding presence. His eyes rolled back and he felt his stomach lurch from the drugs in his system.

Slowly everything was coming into focus and the fennec's eyes went wide as he saw the red eyed gangly and undead thing looking down at him. Raine opened his mouth and spoke softly, "Rai...den..."

"A haha! He recognizes me! So little brother... You've made quite a name for yourself. Stepping in the way of my plans the whole way... I'm tired of this game brother. I think it's time to end it," Said Raiden with a grin as he looked down at the helpless fennec.

Raine closed his eyes as tears formed in their corners. He tried hard to sit up but found himself restrained. He focused on his neck and found it was completely without collar or binding. He felt the hot breath on his face as in his mind he whispered, just a little closer, closer still.

The hot breath was on his forhead, all he had to do was get a little closer. He felt the breath again this time close enough. He opened his eyes and shot his head upward bashing his forehead into the nose and as the man lifted his paws to cover his nose Raine sunk his teeth deep into the neck of the unsuspecting prey.

He tasted the rivers of blood pouring into his mouth and he clamped down harder before pulling back tearing the Sultan's throat free from his neck. The fennec's eyes went wide when he realized what he had done and Raiden actually looked scared at what had just happened. Once the eyes were closed Jahan had replaced Raiden with himself to look over what was to be his newest slave. Little did they know it would be his death.

Raine spit the throat and blood out before looking to Raiden and growling lowly even as the guards began to scramble pushing the fennec to the table he was restrained on while trying to save their already doomed Sultan. It took a few moments for the necromancer to recover with a laugh, "Oh little brother how wild and violent you've become. You've just ensured my victory here. Kabal will fall and after that my children will sweep across the desert covering the world in a blanket of darkness."

The fennec struggled even as the guards held him fast to the rack. He gnashed his teeth and bit at anything getting close to his face until a guard managed to get a paw around his mouth and they slipped a leather muzzle over it preventing him from speaking or biting anymore.

When he was secure Raiden walked to his twin brother and smirked down at him speaking again, "I now rule Kabal brother. Jahan's wish was to give his dynasty over to me that it may be eternal. I was waiting for him to die but now... now I am all that remains of the brotherhood and I have all the power."

"Hail Lord Raiden," Shouted the guards in the room as they gave a salute.

"Take him to the dungeon... throw him in with his friend while I decide their fate," Said Raiden with a grin as he put his cowl up and left the room as Raine was unstrapped from the table and bound both in arm and leg then dragged down the stone steps into the dungeon.

He let out muffled yelps and yowls as he bounced on the ground and the guards laughed at his misfortune. Stripped of his clothing again and laid bare for all in the cells to see, Raine remembered the last time he had seen this place all those months ago. He heard the metal door open before he was hit in the back of the head with it making him yowl through his nose once more.

The guards threw him into the cell and locked the door behind him leaving him there broken and bleeding on the cold stone. Muzzled and bound he was powerless to resist or even attempt an escape.

He lay there for some time before he felt paws at his restraints. They had a gentle feel to them as they undid his arms and legs and then his muzzle. The fennec let whoever was in the cell with him unfasten the restraints before quickly turning only to see a flash of yellow disappear into the shadows at the corner of the room.

Raine held his head as it was spinning from his fast movement, most likely the drugs and concussions taking hold. He felt his stomach lurch again and this time it came free making Raine double over and let it all out. Some sort of poison being expelled from him he thought but when he saw it come out black he had real fear in his eyes as he cried, "N...No... Not like this..."

He felt the soft hands again holding him as he expelled whatever was in his gut. He shivered and shook in the arms finally getting a glimpse of the yellow and white fur on the arms that held him. He spoke softly as the black fluid dripped from his muzzle, "Q...Qab..."

"Yes... it's me... I'm sorry I didn't come for you. They caught me as I was gathering my men to come get you. I've been accused with the murder of Alkaid," replied the former captain of the guard as he slipped around Raine to look him in the eyes.

Raine frowned as he saw a white bandage over his lover's left eye stained with blood. He reached up and softly put a paw on it shaking his head, "T...They took it?"

Qab nodded slowly before putting a paw on Raine's chest, "Y...You've been infected?"

Raine looked to the black on the floor then up again, "I don't know... it could be blood... I... I've done something terrible."

Qab lifted his left brow and reached forward embracing Raine softly as he closed his eye and whined, "What have you done?"

"Jahan... He's dead..."

"You?"

"Yes..."

Qab nodded slowly as he lead Raine to the corner holding him close as he whispered, "Never did I believe it would come to this... Everything was so carefully planned and now... This Raiden..."

"He's my brother Qab... Twisted into something... undead... unclean," Replied Raine as he folded his ears back closing his eyes and whimpering, "He's a monster Qab. Always has been..."

"You never told me you were from Asia," Said Qab softly as he kissed the smaller fennec's neck.

Raine nodded, "Nipon... Raiden... He killed our parents. I ran here and learned under an alchemist taking over his store after he passed away. I remember hearing him whisper about destroying all the others."

The black fennec coughed loudly as more of the black substance was shot free from his muzzle and onto the stone. His heart sank farther as he closed his eyes and whined. The world was starting to fade to black and white and he knew that he was infected.

"Qab... I... I don't have much time left..."

"I know..."

"I want you to do it... When it happens..."

"I can't."

"You have to."

Raine folded his ears back looking to his lover with a soft whine. He looked scared and helpless to which Qab put a paw on Raine's cheek and smiled, "You can fight it. I know you can. You're stronger than I could ever hope to be."

"But I'm not... I left Alkaid for dead in the backyard... after I tortured him and forced him to heal it all. I'm afraid of myself Qab... Afraid that I've become as much a monster as everyone else," Replied Raine as he coughed again lurching to the side as more of the black fluid fell out of his muzzle.

"Oh you always were such a drama queen little Raine. Sometimes I wonder if you were meant to be a man at all," Chuckled Raiden as he appeared from the shadows outside of the cell. He folded his arms across his chest and grinned even as Raine rushed the bars reaching through to try and hurt Raiden.

"Murderer! You'll burn for what you did! I swear I'll see you dead brother," Shouted Raine as he gnashed his teeth and spit the black fluid at the undead.

Raiden wiped his face chuckling softly before getting just out of the range of his brother and whispering, "You're not turning. I've tried that already... you seem to be resilient. That's just the drugs and blood. I never thought you'd have the balls to rip a throat out with your teeth. It was amazing to behold. Maybe you grew a backbone after Alkaid took such good care of you. Here's a fun little fact... who do you think gave him the coin to buy you... Who set off the attack that night to ensure you were blamed... Oh brother I've been looking after you for so long now."

Qab stood up this time with rage in his eye, "You bastard! I care not for Raine's revenge! I will make sure your fate is far worse than any has ever endured!"

Raiden laughed and shook his head, "You can't kill an immortal. Raine here made sure that I was after all."

The black and white fennec folded his ears back as he shook his head, "It should have killed you!"

"But it didn't. It elevated me to levels you can't even comprehend... Your sentence has been decided. You both will be locked in the catacombs to be devoured by the undead down there. My children have to eat after all," Replied Raiden with a grin.