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The Gift

Daniel's Storyline, Chapter 6.3

copyright comidacomida 2018

The Fox's eyes glimmered a deep red and I felt a chill take hold of my heart; for a moment I almost thought it had stopped. My body couldn't move, and it felt like I was standing outside naked in the middle of winter. I started shaking, as much from fear as from the icy sensation, and it was all I could manage to whimper out a "...no..."

Kon stepped forward, saliva dribbling out of his open muzzle. "Yes..."

The paralysis broke the moment a furry brown, bloodied streak slammed into the Yokai from the side. Aiden and Kon went down onto the concrete in a pile of biting, clawing, snapping fury. Somewhere amidst the chaos I heard the Bat cry out "Get out of here, Dan! I can't hold him for long!"

Despite the physicality of their grappling, Kon's voice was strangely serene and nowhere near labored. "It's not too late for forgiveness, Danny... stay right there, and when I'm done with this one you can apologize. I'm not unreasonable, and, like you said, you make stupid decisions... I get that."

By that time he had Aiden securely with an arm wrapped around the Bat's neck and I had no doubt that Kon was going to win the fight. The Yokai's gleaming Red eyes weren't even focused on his opponent, choosing instead to stare right at me. I cried out to my Spirits for aid, hoping Herne and Talapus would hear and respond. "Herne! Talapus! HELP!"

Kon let out a deep breath, closing his eyes as he pushed Aiden down and I watched in horror as the Bat sunk down into the concrete up to his waist. It wasn't the same as when a Spirit walked through a wall; it was more like he was being buried alive by being forced into clay. The Yokai inhaled through his nose, gleaming Red rays peeking out from beneath his closed eyelids. "Oh, Danny, Danny, Danny... you disappoint me again."

I stepped backward, arms out and hands up defensively as Kon stepped back up to ground level and began stalking toward me, eyelids opening again, flickering Red flames creating a glow within what looked like hollow eye sockets. I stepped off the sidewalk and began backpedaling across the street, wanting to put as much space between me and the Yokai as I could. "Stay away from me. I don't want anything to do with you!"

The Fox's muzzle began to drool again as he licked his thin black lips with his tongue. "Well... at this point, Human, you don't really have a choice."

Somewhere deep inside I realized that he was right; assuming he could catch me. Turning around, I ran for the other side of the street, yelling again. "HELP! HERNE! TALAPUS! HELP ME! PLEASE HELP!"

A guy and a lady were just getting out of a car when I ran up onto the sidewalk and my shouting must have caught their attention. They looked confused at first, and eventually the guy looked at me and stepped around her to talk to me. "Hey-- what's going on?"

Although I doubted that they'd be able to help me I was desperate, and not above trying. Realistically they would probably just think I was crazy, but, by that point I didn't want to feel alone, so anything was better than nothing. "I--"

I actuality I was wrong; they weren't any help at all. Kon's voice murmured from right behind me. "She's probably treating on you with this guy."

A Red fog drifted by either side of me and glowing tendrils of energy flowed into the guy's nose and mouth; his eyes gleamed for just a second then narrowed before he reached out and grabbed hold of the front of my shirt. "Is THIS the guy Cindy? He looks like he's fucking twelve! I can't believe you'd choose him over me."

Kon flowed past me, the lower half of his body fading away into a wisp of the same Red mist as he settled in right behind the guy holding me by my collar. The Fox rested his chin on the guy's shoulder. "You should fuck him up bad for causing you so many problems. He's ruined everything, after all."

The stranger stared at me like he knew me, his grip tightening on my shirt. "You've ruined everything, Shit-Head... I'm gonna fuck you up... BAD..."

"No! I--"

He didn't give me a chance to say anything and I saw stars when his fist collided with my face. Off to the side his girlfriend was shouting, but my ears were ringing and my vision went all blurry... all except for Kon, who remained right there, smiling the whole time. "You see, Danny? This could have been so easy, but no... you just have to keep fucking up the plan every. step. of. the. way."

The beast of a guy holding onto me growled and, for a moment, I thought I saw fox teeth in his mouth. "You're gonna eat your teeth before I'm done with you."

He brought his fist back for another strike and then, suddenly, the woman was there, grabbing hold of his arm and keeping it from slamming into my face. "He's just some KID, Sam! Don't hurt him!"

The man shook his arm to free it from her. "Some kid you're fucking? Well, after this the next time he gets laid will be in the emergency room!"

I remember thinking in the back of my mind that his statement didn't make any real sense and wasn't anywhere close to witty, but the majority of my attention was on the huge fist that hit like a truck. Thankfully it didn't land; the woman jumped on him, a Coyote tail lashing out beneath her dress as she put all her weight onto his arm. "It's Myles-- I'm cheating on you with Myles!"

Kon saw what I saw at right about the same time. A second later he left the man alone and sprang right at the woman; he passed right through her, slamming into Talapus, and the two of them went sprawling out into the street. I was just about to step in to see if I could help the Coyote, but I stopped jus tin time to avoid being hit by the car that passed right through them. Talapus stuck his paw in Kon's face and push backwards, getting enough distance between him and the Fox's teeth so he could turn and address me. "Don't get involved, Danny... if he touches you-- *YELP!*"

The explanation was cut short when Kon bit the Coyote's paw. A moment later they separated when the Fox let out a similar sound, and fell away putting his paws to his crotch. Talapus ducked his head and rolled backwards on the ground until he was able to get his feet in place and rose to a standing position; he held his arm out and a long spear appeared. Although the guy and lady near me screaming at one another and getting back into their own car my attention still remained on the Coyote and the Fox. "Talapus-- he hurt Aiden!"

Herne's voice spoke up from behind me and I felt the firm weight of his hand land on my shoulder. "We know. Keep your distance."

With no further introduction, the Elk stalked forward, a short, double-bladed sword in one hand and a large, painted metal shield in the other. By the time he and Talapus were squaring off against the Fox, Kon was swinging a chain with a small metal weight at one end and I saw the chain was attached to a sickle which the Yokai held in his other paw. The single Spirit sneered at his two opponents. "If I stop his heart then you're both screwed. How much essence do you want to waste on getting cut apart?"

Talapus kept his distance, holding his spear in a defensive stance. "You wouldn't. If you kill him then you get nothing."

Herne slowly lowered his sword but kept his shield at the ready, countering the Coyote's statement with a scowl. "No... he would. Daimon can take the life of a Human and prosper... but the question is, why he hasn't already."

A split second later, Kon launched the weighted end of the chain right at Talapus' head, forcing the Coyote to raise his spear to block. The Fox gripped the middle portion of the chain, yanking it back and pivoting his stance so he could spin, and swung the sickle around the side, hooking it on the shaft of the spear and pulling it forward. Once the Coyote was no longer protected, the Yokai finished the arc of the chain so that the metal ball slammed right into the side of Talapus' head. "Because that wouldn't be any fun."

Herne quickly stepped to the side as Talapus collapsed like a wet paper sack. Although Kon turned to face the Elk when he spoke next it was directed at me, and I saw the way his two tails curled in on one another to form a heart. "Don't go anywhere, Danny... you and I aren't done yet."

Although I couldn't help but stare at the train-wreck developing in front of me, somehow, somewhere an old, gravely voice managed to force its way into my frozen brain. "Hey... kid..."

I turned to look at who spoke, and saw a pair of glowing Blue eyes looking out at me from a dark alleyway. By the time I looked back, Herne and Kon had already started their deadly dance. My options were limited, but I--