Arc 2

Chapter 32

Rise or Fall

Klaus was in a world of ash and darkness. The only color he saw was that of his own hands and body when he looked down.

The place he had found himself in was familiar but different.

'I've been here before?'

It took him a moment, but it came back to him. He was in the heart chamber of Sephiroth.

A whisper scratched at the edges of his hearing. Similar to the imperceptible buzz of someone murmuring in the distance, only the wind carried the smallest of sounds to his ears.

Klaus took a step towards the whispers. His step caused the once-mighty tree to crack with a sound resembling thunder. Fissures formed underneath the young dragon.

He started to run, forgoing all caution. The cracks spread wider with every step he took until there was nowhere left to put his feet, and all that waited was the looming abyss below.

He fell, and the abyss swallowed him whole. The world of grey was gone. With its disappearance, the whispers grew louder. They turned into a chorus that demanded attention even in Klaus' panicked mined.

"The worlds hunger for blood, there are riots in the hearts of all, rise above or you will fall."

Klaus gritted his teeth and shouted. "What do you want!"

Something brushed against his arm, and the contact made him spin in the air.

"Rise above or you will fall."

Klaus got a brief glance downwards. It made his heart rush with fear. Waiting were large eyes, eyes like his own.

Another glance showed that the creature had opened its jaws. Klaus fell into them helplessly, and the jaws slammed shut.

Klaus jolted and then sat up straight in fright. The maw opened in his panic, and the bed groaned under him in protest. Springs snapped and twanged like wires on a piano.

Klaus closed the maw and rubbed at his sweaty face. The bed was already ruined, but his mind was on the dream.

Taking deep breaths to calm down, Klaus looked around to determine where he was.

'My room in the lodge?'

The room was dark, the curtains pulled and what would otherwise be, a magnificent night view of the forest. Klaus had been allocated to the master bedroom in the lodge.

He felt something protruding from his arm and looked at it with familiarity. 'A drip?'

It all came back to him, with remembrance came more sweat as he started to panic again.

'Did I kill Billy?'

The thought drove him to take out the drip and launch out of bed. His feet made a beeline towards the stairs. He felt weak like he was walking through molasses. His limbs were heavy and unresponsive.

He made it down to the sitting area, nearly tripping a few times during the journey. The screeches of tires on the asphalt made him go outside. What he saw made him pause.

The familiar trucks had come to a stop. As soon as a door opened, Klaus heard someone screaming in pain.

Gluttony got out and threw a wailing Beatrice and Amelia over his shoulders. Three crossbow bolts were sticking out of the demon's chest but he moved, unbothered towards what Klaus thought was a garage door. It opened revealing a fully furnished hospital room, it resembled what one would imagine seeing in an emergency room.

Klaus went closer and winced when he saw the reason for their screaming and swearing.

Beatrice had a broken arm, her hand was mangled on the same arm. Amelia was the first to be placed on a bed. She let out a yelp when Gluttony came back to her, and without much fanfare straitened what looked to, Klaus like a broken leg after dropping the swearing Beatrice on a bed.

The demon then gave Amelia one of the silver bags that Klaus and Leo had gotten when they just arrived. She grabbed and started sucking on it while giving the demon the best glare she could muster.

Klaus saw relief flood her along with the bag's contents.

Her eyes flicked to him. Eyebrows raised, but she did not stop sucking on the bag.

She pointed at him and then down. He looked, only to discover he was standing in a jockey.

Beatrice kept swearing the demon in colorful ways while it helped with her injuries.

Klaus remembered his purpose and ignored his state of dress. He went to sit down on a bed, wrapping the blanket around him. He had no doubt that Gluttony knew he was there.

"Did Billy survive?"

Beatrice went quiet for the first time, only then realizing that Klaus was there.

She swore again when one of her fingers was pulled back into place with a popping sound.

Liz was already passed out on one of the beds.

Gluttony did not turn back and continued with his grim task. "He did, we moved him to a room in the lodge, and he should be resting, but it seems he followed you here."

Klaus turned towards the door. Relief flooded him. Billy was standing there in the same state of undress that he was before. Billy seemed bigger, stronger. He had muscle where there was none before. Most of the piercings on his face had been removed. His hair was in a tangle behind his head, and not dangling in his face like usual.

Klaus felt strange while he looked at him. As if they were connected somehow. Billy smiled when Klaus thought of it, almost like he could read the thought.

Klaus ignored the strange feeling and pointed at the bed next to him. Billy walked over and sat down. Klaus shared the blanket. Despite ignoring the feeling, it still reflected in Klaus' actions. The young dragon just did not realize it.

Beatrice finally got her silver sachel, shutting her up as she sucked on it greedily.

Klaus took the silence as a chance to ask his question. "What happened to us?"

Gluttony turned to them. "I'm not sure. You will have to ask Pride."

Just as the sentence finished, another two trucks came to a sliding stop in front of the opened door.

There was no screaming this time. Only grunts of pain from Fred. Leo was out cold.

Each had broken limbs like the others. Pride had Leo in her arms, and Silence carried Fred.

The demons gave Klaus and Billy a glance before getting to work on the injured teens.

When they finished, Fred received a silver sachel, and Leo was given a drip.

Klaus was starting to grow impatient, but he ignored it. Knowing where the feeling was coming from. The dream was still haunting his thoughts as well, he didn't know if there was a deeper meaning to it or just his subconscious playing tricks.

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Pride finally turned to Klaus and looked at the two teens sitting bare-chested. "You must be curious about what happened?"

Klaus nodded, and she gestured for them to follow before through a side door leading into the lodge.

Klaus looked at Billy. They were sharing the same blanket. There was an awkward silence. Billy said nothing and only looked back at Klaus.

The proximity and state of their undress only made it worse. Klaus shoved the blanket off, he would rather walk around naked than just sit there or share the sheet as they walked.

A few twists and turns later, and they were in an office. Pride motioned for the two teens to have a seat.

Klaus sat, but Billy remained standing behind his chair. Pride raised an eyebrow at this and said nothing. "You have been asleep for a week. The use of stigmata nearly killed you, especially after you used most of the stored energy in the fight with us. It was irresponsible and foolhardy on your part."

Klaus wanted to object, but Pride continued. "It was also the result of my stupidity, and I... apologize." The last part was said through gritted teeth.

Klaus thought back. His memory was clear, but at the time he was barely in control, a familiar sentence went through his mind. "Rise above, or you will fall."

Pride was oblivious to Klaus' introspection. "Billy shares his bloodline with a Cerberus." She looked at Billy with a sneer. "They are horrendous and powerful creatures. Above all else, they are loyal to their masters. If not for that, I would kill it now."

Klaus looked between Billy and Pride, realization dawning on him. "You mean?"

Pride nodded. "It has chosen you. We are not entirely sure what the criteria are, but you defeating it must have fulfilled it somehow."

Klaus did not know how to feel. "What about the old Billy?"

Klaus did not like him, but that did not mean he wanted the guy gone from existence.

Pride looked at Billy. "Your circumstances are different. You had no choice but to accept your other self during the awakening. It would have been the same for Billy if he did not try to suppress his nature. I think it is suppressing Billy now."

Klaus turned to the other teen. "Can you speak?"

"I... I am learning," it said in broken words.

Klaus rubbed his eyes, not sure of what to do.

Pride shook her head. "I can't tell you what to do. I will say this: you will need all the help you can get. Our influence in the worlds past these are basically non-existent. The deeper you go, the more our influence will grow. Only if you go in the right direction."

Klaus snorted. "How will I know?"

Pride gave him a look like he was stupid. "There are maps, unfortunately, if you tried to look at them now, it wouldn't make sense. There are ways around it. Pain would have tried to share something with you?"

Klaus sat up, and something dawned on him. "The guild?"

Pride slumped back in her chair with relief. "Yes. The guild can help." Any more words got stuck in her throat and she shook her head. "Find the guild in the Secret Worlds."

Klaus sat back in the chair. "What now?"

Pride got up. "Now you rest, tomorrow the training will continue. The others have begun to think... outside the box in your absence. It has helped them survive longer, and Leo almost managed to reach the center again.

Klaus got up the next morning and found Billy, or rather, it waiting outside his door.

When he reached the sitting area the others were there. They were all looking at the map on the television.

Liz was the first to see him standing there and rushed over to give him a hug. "I was so worried when we saw you and Billy that night... it just. I'm happy you are okay."

Leo stepped up to him. Klaus could see something had changed in him. "We all are, the past week has been difficult. I tried to do the same as you. "Leo shook his head." I did not last long enough for the others to reach safety."

Klaus paused for a moment and then clapped Leo on his shoulder. "That way was wrong from the beginning. This is a team exercise, so the whole team needs to work together to accomplish something."

Beatrice snorted. "It's useless, we've tried everything. Trying to get together does not work."

Amelia nodded. "Hiding also doesn't work. It takes them a little longer, but they always find us."

Fred sat forward. "The traps worked, to a degree. Leo almost made it."

"Traps?" asked Klaus.

Leo walked over to the map. " Two days ago, the fat demon gave me a hint while he was setting my arm. He said that a true general always planned ahead, prepared, and chose his battlefield."

"When we asked if we could scout out the forest, Pride just shrugged. We have been going into the forest every day to set traps together. Beatrice got caught in one on the first day, though."

Beatrice sat forward and defended. "Not everyone has night vision like some of you."

Leo, Fred, and Liz just looked at her. They had the same disability as her.

She huffed and looked away.

Klaus sat down and looked over the map. "So you have been able to delay them, what about speeding yourselves up?"

The others all turned to him as one.

He smiled. "How far has your training with the magical plants gotten?"

Amelia closed her eyes and muttered. "We are such idiots."

Liz jumped up. "One of the concoctions even grants limited night vision!"

Klaus could see new hope spread through them. "New plan, half of us will make what is needed. The other half will go set traps."

Klaus turned to Billy. "I want to test your capabilities. If it is a lot better like your physique suggests. The two of us will run interference."

The others wanted to object, but he held up his hand. "I'm not going to simply wait and engage. Billy can find me, I think, and he has... changed."

The others looked at him dubiously.

He just looked back at them stoically.

"How will we tell where the traps are?" Asked Beatrice for obvious reasons.

Klaus smiled. "There is a balm I learned how to make, they use it to apply a tracking mark to whatever it has been placed on. Only the one who's blood is mixed into the concoction can see the mark."

"We haven't learned it yet," said Amelia thoughtfully.

Klaus shrugged. "I have. I just need a bit of blood from each of you. Do you all agree on the plan?"

They all nodded.

Klaus was starting to feel excited and from the looks of it, the others were as well. "Let's start."

That night, two of them made it to the center, Billy and Klaus.

Billy was fast and able to keep up with Klaus. They had run into one demon. The demons who were restricting themselves did not stand a chance.

It happened in an instant. The demon appeared, and before Klaus could react Billy tackled it to the ground. While the two struggled, Klaus opened the maw as large he could, shoved Billy away. Grabbed the demon's leg swung and threw the creature as hard as he could over and above the trees.

The two continued to run right afterward.

It all happened so quickly that Klaus did not even have a chance to see which one it was. The next day Silence treated Klaus to a beating while they sparred, so the young dragon had his suspicions.

All through this, Klaus fought his instincts to just fight. He understood that if he wanted to win, he had to keep a clear head.

Unfortunately, after the one success, two demons would always be allocated to Billy or Klaus.

Fred came up with another plan. What happened with Billy and Klaus could not be replicated by them so they would use something else, bolas. The team decided to make the things out of military-grade rope and some of the training weights in the gym.

It failed the next night, but that was due to them not being used to the weapon. Silence, who seemed to be well versed in most weapons were waiting for them the next day with one in his hand.

This continued for weeks. The team would come up with a plan and then implement it. Sometimes it would fail horribly or two or three would make it to the middle.

Fred made it to the middle of the circle on his own once after landing a bola. The rest of the next day he demanded the team call him bola man.

After learning concoctions that helped boost them in unnatural ways, they were taught poisons, and the demons suffered for it.

Despite their losing most of the time what Klaus feared did not come to pass. No one gave up. It was due to the progress they were making and the support that the team members were giving to each other.

They lived and breathed training and survival. For a time, it was all they knew.

The group was sitting around the table in the sitting area one morning when Pride popped in. It was a rare thing for her to show herself, outside of practice sessions and the game so, she immediately drew their attention.

"There is one week left before you leave. The game will stop here, and the rest of your time must be spent on things focussed on the Secret Worlds. Choose wisely."

They all just paused after her words. It was a shock, their thoughts were on the game, nothing else. None of them spared a glance at the date or how long they had left.

Beatrice was the first to break the silence. "No training?" Her voice was timid, almost pleading.

No one replied, they all just looked at each other and then started chuckling except for Billy, who looked on confused at their strange behavior.

The teen had started to speak more, sometimes even giving suggestions. It still was not the same Billy.

Klaus had tried to have it relinquish its hold over the human part of the psyche but to the young dragon's dismay, it said that Billy refused to show himself.

Klaus was unsure and did not know if he should believe it or not, despite what Pride had said about the creature's loyalty.

After chuckling, they became quiet again.

Leo spoke first, "what do we do now?"

Klaus got up. "We do, as Pride suggested."

"No! Not tonight at least. We have been doing the same thing for over two months. I say we need a break. I say we need drinks and a bloody party!" Beatrice got more fired up the more she spoke until she was looking at them in turn, daring any of them to refute.

Klaus did not have the heart to and neither did anyone else. They needed a break.

They started to smile. "Party it is!"

The next morning found Liz and Beatrice regretting it. The two had drunk a lot more than any of the others, and they were feeling it. They came together and discussed a plan of action. The action was so engrained that none of them commented on it.

Klaus and Amelia would focus on concoctions. The two had carried the team through with strange brews of magical nature. The benefits could not be ignored.

Liz stuck to trapping. She had found that she liked to do it during the months they trained. Gluttony volunteered to teach her. Most of their time was spent in the forest.

Fred was the "bola man" so, he trained with it. Silence had also started teaching him how to use a net and trident.

Leo stuck to his sword, shield, and spear. He would sometimes join Klaus and Amelia. Practicing simpler concoctions.

Beatrice was all over the place, Klaus had never seen anyone more bubbly and with such a small attention span. The only time she seemed to focus was with a bow in her hand.

Billy was awkward. He always wanted to stick with Klaus, but the latter grew a bit annoyed with this. He sent him to go with Liz and learn how to trap. This upset Liz. She had to learn how to read the signs while Billy just took a few sniffs and then took off in the right direction.

The week soon passed and under Pride's instruction, everyone got ready, which did not take much as they were barely allowed to take anything with them.

The trucks took them to the same airport. Klaus looked at the forest with longing as it went past. The past few months had been painful, but it had been some of the best he ever had.

Whatever waited for them, whatever they had to face. It would come now.

They were on their way to Secret Worlds. He could only hope that they were ready.

He did not have the dream again, but it was stuck in his mind like glue. Would they rise above, or fall?