[Team Phoenix] (Turn a Blind Eye) Thy Judgement Come (Part 1/2)

[tsubasafan]

Title: Thy Judgement Come
Prompt:(Turn a Blind Eye)
Rating:pg-13
Warnings:minor blood, gore, fighting



'Stay hidden. Keep your face from being seen.' Fai pulled his hood further over his head, trying to hide as he waded through the crowds. Yuui wasn't far behind him. The city was too wet, too dark and stank of smoke and filth and the dank. He hoped they wouldn't stay long.

There were whispers of war. Negotiations between Clow and Celes had fallen through and it was said the king had turned his eye to the riches of the east.

It was no small wonder really. The country was beginning to feel cursed. A nearly six year drought had only been ended the previous year and the past spring had brought about a sickness that had killed a third of every village and city. No man, woman, or babe had been spared its grasp. With so few to work the fields, there was worry of food shortages come winter. Fall was already approaching as the days grew shorter and the nights colder.

There had been reports of beasts lurking in the forests, coming out and snatching people who strayed too far. Some even told of giants and great monsters that walked the mountains and mists. ,i.'It's better that they don't know' Fai thought to himself. He had seen some of those horrors and most men were left as nothing but bones or had gone mad.

And now with doom and gloom possibly on the horizon there had been an outpouring of priests and zealots speaking of gods and men. Even now as he made his way through a market in Ravenrock, he could hear the priestess bleating to her sheep.

Fai made a face before quickly schooling it back into indifference. He needed to get passage on a ship before winter set in. They had to run, leave the country to rot and ruin and find a safe haven.

"We only feed the darkness, the demons who call themselves gods yearn for the blood of the innocent!" The priestess stretched her arms towards the sky. "But hope is not lost, a savior will come! He is born under the blood sky, to rise as the hero of heroes with his silver sword bathed in the blood of his foes, to vanquish the darkness and all his ilk. We need only to look back at the great city of Valeria, wiped away in a single night of fire and blood, from their sins against the goddesses." He made a motion with his hands and people screamed and awed as flashes of lights burst above them.

'Only mummer tricks.' He thought to himself as he walked behind the large crowd that had gathered to hear the priests words of some savior. She was a priestess of the goddess, teaching the ways of peace and forgiveness. It was good and all for children, but the world was cruel and full of terrors without needing to blame the monsters that lurked in the dark and deep places.

He sped away, running into someone who grunted. Fai didn't stop to see who it was.

"The inn." He heard Yuui said quickly, who kept his head down. Fai nodded and cut a path for them. A drink and maybe news might help.

A room would be a good change of pace as well. Better than curling up in sheds and stables. Yuui had managed to steal a few coppers days ago and it would buy them a cot, maybe even a meal.

The inn was bustling, there was a bard singing about toothless lions as drunkards sang along, sloshing half their cups on the wood floor below. Even a few dogs skulked around looking for scraps, but they were shooed out by a busty woman wielding a broom.

Amidst the chaos, Yuui paid for a single room and managed to haggle with the proprietor. Stealing away with their dinner, they left to their room. Fai let his cloak drop to the floor as Yuui set his bag on the floor by the cot. "Eat while at still hot. I'll wash some dishes for breakfast."

"Yes, mother." Fai gave him a smile now that they were alone, sitting on the floor and grabbing his bowl. It was some sort of stew with a chunk of bread. Whatever it was it was good and filling. "You eat too."

"There are a lot of people here." Yuui said as he removed his cloaked and glanced out the window. There were still dozens surrounding the priestess. "Enough to pick pocket."

"And gain passage out of here." Fai added. It was a dream of theirs to run away from the troubles that plagued Clow. To find a place they could call home. "I wish I had some good ale."

"Later. When it calms down I'll see what I can do." Yuui hummed and moved to sit beside him to eat. "I'd rather have a hot bath myself."

"We might be able to." The room had a wash basin, but it just wasn't the same.

"Later, for now I just want to eat and be off my feet." Yuui repeated. They'd been traveling for weeks, jumping from one village to the next. Always moving.

Fai dug out the small coin purse he had taken earlier and tossed it on his brothers lap. He watched as Yuui set his bowl down and emptied the purse onto his palm. Several coppers and some silver too. Plenty to take them further. "That man?"

"Of course. I didn't even see their face." Fai smiled and wiggled his fingers. They had felt guilty those first few years, but it was either starve or steal and Fai would do worse to keep Yuui fed and safe.

---

They managed to get their drinks and some hot water to wash off that night before curling up together and getting some sleep. The sky grew dark under the new moon.

But Fai swatted when he felt something press into his cheek. "...sleep Yuui." He mumbled and nearly went back to sleep until he was touched again.

"Wake up bastard."

'That wasn't Yuui.' He opened his eyes to see a man in the dark, a lone lantern cast just enough light to see him.

"Up, before I cut you down." Fai froze when he realized it was the blunt of a sword that had been hitting him. "Both of you thieves are coming with me."

"We are not thieves." Fai sat up, insisting.

"Liar. You stole my money and I should take your hand for it, but I'll turn you over instead." He grunted, eyes narrowed. There was no fighting this one, he was big and broad, with the stance of a killer.

"We apologize. My brother didn't know who he was stealing from. Take it and leave us, we didn't spend any of your coin." Yuui said from behind Fai.

"Not enough. You two cutpurses have probably stolen from half the city. Now up, I won't ask again."

Both rose to their feet, Fai was trying to shield his brother. "This is a misunderstanding." He held up his hands.

"Take your things. We're leaving." It took only minutes, the stranger boring holes into them as they grabbed their meager belongings. "Take the sword out and any other weapons."

Fai winced and Yuui stared before they relented. Fai relinquished his knives and Yuui his short sword along with their pistols. The man saw the weapons and looked at them. "Hunters? Or did you steal these too?"

"Hunters." Fai told him. "We can't stay here."

"Why?"

"We are being hunted." Yuui told him, eyes piercing the man. It was a secret, but they could say give away some information to stay safe.

"What for? Another hunter?"

"We killed a monster, its followers aren't too happy because of it. Fai stole so we can find passage out of here." Yuui tried to reason.

"What sort of monster has followers? A brood mother would be devoured if she fell." He looked to be trying to decipher them, find some hidden meaning, but Yuui knew he wouldn't understand.

He tried not to remember the crying.

"If you let us go we can tell you." Fai tried smiling.

"First you're going to answer for your stealing. Hunters do not pick pockets."

They were marched out onto the empty streets, lanterns gave off a faint glow and let Fai got a better look at the man. He swore. The black leathers and the emblem hanging around his neck could only mean one thing. "You're a hunter too. I haven't seen that badge before though." It looked like some winged creature, a raven or a demon.

Of all the people he could have stolen from it had to be another hunter. He could kick himself. "Listen, I truly am sorry, but you must understand mister hunter. My brother and I are just unfortunate bystanders. We did a job and are in some trouble, if you could just turn a blind eye we would be in your debt." Fai tried to reason with him since Yuui had failed.

"Quiet or I'll take your tongue too." He growled as he walked behind them and seemed to be about to say something else when he stopped. Fai and Yuui both stopped and stared before someone came from an alley brandishing a spear. They struck at the stranger, who blocked the blow with his sword. Others appeared, circling them.

"You slew Lord Eriol and we plan on making you replace him." One spoke, holding a small war hammer in his meaty hands.

"Give us our weapons and we can fight!" Fai yelled as the spearman had his weapon cut nearly in half and was disemboweled in short order. "Please!" The others ran at them.

Yuui dodged a swipe from a knife. He watched the hunter growl before he reluctantly tossed Yuui's sword to him, Fai ran to grab it and landed a strike on a man who gurgled as he clutched his throat.

He tossed the sword to his brother, who caught it nimbly and swung the sword to slice another's throat. Yuui was better with it than he was. Fai dodged and danced about, tiring their enemies out before using his fists and feet. He would have preferred his gun, but he had to use what he had.

By the end of it there were several bodies on the street. "He is waiting...you must heed his call." Fai paled as he stood over the dying man. "You are trueborn, the blood..." He uttered before the light left his eyes.

Yuui walked over, putting a hand on his brothers shoulder. "We should have kept moving." He turned to look at the stranger. "My name is Yuui and this is my brother, Fai."No doubt someone had seen them and the city guard was being called.

"Kurogane." He grumbled as he wiped the blood from his sword.

"Kurogane. We need to leave this city before dawn. If you want to live, come with us." It was Fai's turn to stare. Had Yuui gone mad?

"...Yuui."

"He will be a target now...I can't..." Yuui looked guilty and that hurt even worse than the scrapes he had.

"For only a few days." Fai relented. He always relented when it was Yuui.

"I haven't agreed to go anywhere, but to take you two to a cell." Kurogane interrupted.

"There's no time for that." Fai shook his head. "Yuui is right. They'll hunt you down if you stay here."

"And who are they?" It sounded like he was unconvinced.

"They're led by the priestess of Menses." Fai explained. "They worship a demon that demands blood sacrifice. We killed one of their daughters and now they want revenge." A half truth wouldn't hurt. Not now.

"Menses?"

"An old order." Yuui added. "They're not well known anymore, but we must make haste."

Finally settled, Kurogane agreed and the three of them made quick work of leaving the city. Maybe it would give them enough of a head start this time.

---

A few days turned into several days. Kurogane was no less a stick in the mud and Fai didn't trust him, but with another hunter helping them, they were seeing more coin. They had gone to a small village and helped rid them of a pack of wild dogs that had been terrorizing their sheep. Doing small jobs paid little, but every bit helped when it came to feeding them.

More often than not though they could see the suspicion in red eyes, especially when they came across potential leads.

Fai and his brother had sworn to rid this world of monsters and beasts and they would. They were careful around Kurogane, not letting the other hunter know too much.

Yuui sat in their room one night, flipping through an old journal they had found on their last hunt. He had seen Kurogane walk out earlier to do who knows what. "And so we must infer that the gods need pale blood. Where one might ascertain this...suitable blood is not clear at the time of this writing. Shashi has been in her trance for four days now, letting the gods speak through her and for her acolytes to try and decipher the meaning." Yuui swallowed thickly, he couldn't read anymore after having to say that name.

"Don't think about it." Even Fai had cringed at hearing it. It brought back memories of the dark and damp and the stench of blood.

"They're looking for this stuff...pale blood?" It had been mentioned a few times throughout the journal, but the longer he read the more the writer sounded frantic and going further into madness.

"Blood isn't pale. Maybe they mean water?" Fai suggested as he was peeling an apple with one of his knives. "Water keeps you alive after all."

"...perhaps..." Yuui wasn't entirely convinced of it though. Damned lunatics writing in riddles, could no one ever be to the point? "After we killed Eriol...we swore we would find the others." They had wanted to take a ship further north and hopefully find leads before eventually leaving this cursed country behind for good.

"There are only three more that we know of." The old witch woman had said the names before Yuui had cut her down and the journal had talked about children. "We have Freya and Elda and then there's Euphemia. There's word of a great beast in the north. It hides away in a ruined town." Fai had overheard some travelers talking about the howling and screams that had come at night.

"We should go there first. Maybe we can find the older one after her." Yuui looked grim before he continued reading.

---

Neither had told Kurogane the entire truth on why they were traveling so quickly north, only that it was for a contract.

"Both of you are idiots, we should be preparing for this beast if it's as terrible as it sounds." He grumbled at them as they walked.

"And where is the excitement in that?" Fai crooned, walking lightly on the dirt road. Yuui was a few scant steps ahead.

"It's supposed to be your duty, not fun." Kurogane groused.

"It can be both!" Fai laughed at himself. No need to let Kurogane know her name. "Monster slaying is necessary and exciting." Fai brought up his hands and clenched them into fists to show his excitement. "When you vanquish a worthy foe."

Yuui grimaced behind him.

"And one day you'll go into a bloodlust and have hunters after you." Kurogane glared thoroughly. The two men never really got along, but then again Fai seemed to want to pester him at all costs. Though Yuui had caught Kurogane staring at his brother with some sort of intention in his gaze. He just couldn't decide on what sort it was.

"Sounds like you've had to do that before."

"I've been through it before. I killed a few hunters before I was subdued. Broke my arm and had a hole in my hand." Kurogane explained as Yuui listened.

Fai was a little surprised by that. "They spared you? Must have been someone you knew."

"She was, she was the one who took me into the order." Kurogane left it at that. Fai knew that being a hunter meant you had to come to terms with the fact that family and friends and lovers didn't last long. Beasts either tore them a part or you did.

Yuui spared a glance to his brother. He trusted Kurogane, but would he try to kill them if he knew of their own sins? The man easily out matched them in physical strength and Yuui didn't want to test his skills on Kurogane to see who would win that particular fight.

"That emblem, its a dragon isn't it? What order was that? You never told us." Yuui offered a distraction before Kurogane started chasing Fai about again.

He glanced and saw Kurogane reflexively touch the metal circle. "Dragon Guard." He seemed pensive for a moment. "I was told as a kid that long ago that the moon was a giant egg and from it came dragons who burned away the evils of the world, but men were too wicked and even sacred fire can't destroy the darkness forever. We were sworn to guard the realms of men from evil, be they beasts or demons or men. Everyone is dead or have forgotten their oaths." He frowned solemnly.

"Giant eggs filled with dragons, now that is hard to believe." Fai grinned and Kurogane looked ready to throw something at him. "But its not that far fetched. I heard in Hanshin they eat bugs like sweets and Celes they eat nothing but snow and like to leave their children out in snow storms." He shrugged. The world was full of oddities. The three of them talked little as they walked on.

When they came to a crossing, they stopped to read the weathered posts. "We're looking for a...Greenhaven..." Fai looked down at them, having a hard time reading the old wood. "Ah here, it says it isn't far, this way." He pointed. "Probably just over the hill."

The area was quiet, with only dead trees to keep the three of them company. They marched on until they can upon the town in question. Years ago it would have been a charming little town, but now the forest was encroaching onto the land, trees sprouted through rooftops and nothing stirred. No smoke from fireplaces, no livestock, no people.

Fai unhooked his knives from his belt and Yuui brought out his pistol as they walked ahead first. There was nothing but the sound of their footsteps and the sound of his own heart beating in his ears.

When they had gone to Eriol, there had been crying in the end. Before that had been deformed mongrels and the cultists that had worshiped the babe. They hadn't been able to weed out the vermin and by the time they had realized that they had only taken out a small group, they had already decided to move on. Fai shook the thoughts from his head. It had to be done, they couldn't let him live.

"There's nothing here as far as I can't tell." Kurogane whispered. "No sign of thieves or bandits, no bears, no damage to the houses that would be caused by fighting."

"Do you hear it?" Yuui asked, ignoring Kurogane. He felt it, deep in his bones. Weeping.

Fai could only nod. He had heard it too and they ventured to the church in the center of town. A graveyard stretched beside it, the doors had wood planks nailed across it. Must be another way in.

The wind picked up and groaning was heard. Fai looked up at the hole in the church roof, it sounded like the place was about to fall apart if a strong enough wind hit it.

"You've come. Both of you came. I feel you." It was quiet, softly spoken enough that all three of them had to strain to listen. "You should have stayed gone, but I will have you regardless. I hear him calling, he needs you."

Steel slid from its sheath as Kurogane drew his sword. "It's time to end this...we can't let them continue to dream." Yuui told the voice, looking saddened. "You must rest."

The groaning came again before the doors splintered and flew out towards them. Fai rolled away, landing back on his feet as Kurogane and Yuui had scattered. 'That had been a close call.' Damn, he had hoped it wouldn't be a fight.

What emerged was a great beast, tearing away at the door frame until he cracked and gave way under its strength. Rags of white cloth covered its slender body. It screamed as it ravaged the building, bursting forth into the dirt, it stood twice as tall them and three times as long. A beast that looked like something from a nightmare. It's fur was dirty and matted, a short face with long teeth and what looked like hands with dagger like claws.

Across its eyes were blood and empty sockets staring back at them. "I will devour you brothers." It said before lunging at Yuui whip quick, swiping a hand out along the ground, digging up a swath of earth in her wake. Yuui jumped high as Fai threw a knife into her rib cage. She screamed and a thick tail whipped back to throw him against the wall of an old house some yards away. Yuui shot a leg, leaving red in its wake, Kurogane charged as well. Between snapping jaws and claws they managed to make cuts here and there, bleeding the beast.

A tail came, turning up headstones and iron fencing behind them, flinging the rock and metal towards them. Fai had the wind knocked out of him when a chunk of stone struck him in the stomach. Collapsing onto the ground. Freya jumped and came for him, her jaws wide enough to reveal the rows of teeth.

Fai saw her descend slowly from above, unable to even breathe let alone save himself. In an instant, Kurogane was there to swing his sword and lop off one of the beasts arms, cutting through the forearm like butter.

Freya wheeled back, heels digging into the earth as she crashed into the church. She screamed as thick blood poured from the wound. In Yuui jumped and pierced her chest with his sword, having tossed his pistol when he ran out of bullets, piercing her heart. He leapt back as the beast writhed and tried to regain footing on the muddy ground to no avail. They watched as the monster screamed and screamed as red ran down its face from empty eyes. It made Yuui's ears ring.

When it was silent, Yuui ran to his brother as Kurogane approached the corpse to make sure she was dead.

"Fai, are you alright?" Yuui looked over his face for any sign of pain.

"Maybe a cracked rib or two." He smiled sheepishly, voice hoarse. He tasted copper in his mouth. Fai glanced over to see Kurogane swiftly take off the head. "Taking a trophy?"

"No, making sure it can't come back. We need to burn the body too." He told them and both twins agreed.

When Fai felt well enough he helped them gather kindling and they stood and watched as the body burned. Kurogane stared into the flames, normally they would give some condolences, but it seemed too much had been said already. "The both of you have a lot of explaining to do and none of this vague shit you've been throwing at me for days." Flames flickered on dark skin as Kurogane glared at them.

Fai sighed heavily. Kurogane was stubborn as any mule he swore. "Cat's half way out of the bag now. Kuro-sword is a hunter and well, it can't be worse."

"Do you trust us Kurogane?" Yuui asked him bluntly. "We have been a lone for a very long time and you're the first to ever stay this long with us."

They watched Kurogane for all of a few seconds before he scoffed. "I trust you, your brother less so."

"That's not very nice." Fai pouted. Honestly, Kurogane had a good instinct not to trust them. "And here I thought we were the best of friends."

"Then we can talk after we secure the area and make camp." Yuui nodded and sheathed his sword after wiping it clean. With their talks put on hold the three went about exploring. There was nothing but a skeletons hidden in homes. Kurogane had managed to find a few moth eaten blankets and Yuui found some broken hairs to use for a fire. They moved into the church for the night staying in a large room on the second floor. They secured the building as much as they could and hoped the charred remains outside would deter any creatures from visiting.

Kurogane sat across from the fire, having drug out an old iron kettle to burn it in. He chewed a piece of hard bread and waited on the brothers to start talking. The waxing moon above them gave little light to see by.

"I suppose you want to know everything?" Yuui asked, looking tired. Fai sat between them, shirtless save for bandages wrapped around his chest. He ached with each breath, but let his brother do the talking for tonight.

"I want to know what that was. When you told me we were hunting a beast, I didn't expect that. I want to know how that beast spoke, how it knew you two were brothers without having eyes, why did it warn you?" He began and Fai sighed.

"You may as well tell him." Best to rip the bandage off quickly.

Yuui turned to his bag and dug out the journal. "This...this is from one of the priests. They were a sect from the cult of Menses and we found it after killing a few of their guardians and Eriol." He clutched at the old leather book.

"Who is that? The leader of them?"

"No, he was a...baby in a way. It's hard to say how old he was compared to a man, but to most he looked like a creature, to us he was a small child. He could only cry." Yuui explained.

Kurogane made a face like he didn't want to believe them. "You killed a baby still in the cradle?"

"You're not listening." Fai countered. "He was a half breed. Born from a mortal woman and an old God. We killed him because we promised to each other that we would kill all the children that he created. He wants to use them to live in this realm. There were once six that we knew of and now there are only two."

"Gods and monsters? The only true monsters there ever were, were men made monstrous by stories." Kurogane told them. But he had helped them slay a monster just hours ago, he had put down beasts himself. Giant boars and demons the size of horses, never something like what they faced. "I left my order because all the old hunters ever did was drink and talk about the end of days when giant monsters would devour us all. Half of them just said it to scare the new recruits and townsfolk into paying them more." He waved his hand in dismissal.

"You saw with your own eyes today. Freya was born the way she was. Imperfect and beautiful. We slew her out of mercy." Yuui replied. "I could hear her crying."

"So she was born a monster?"

"Maybe? She could have looked normal and transformed into that. It's difficult to say, but she was wearing clothes and the town was abandoned years ago." Fai had an idea of what had happened, but couldn't stomach the thought.

"You said there were two more. Do you know where they are? Why was she here?" Kurogane had stilled and watched them.

"Elda is one, her sister. Euphemia is the other, another sister. Their names were in this book, they've been kept hidden away until Freya ran away." Yuui sat across from Kurogane and looked away.

"What happens if you kill them all?"

"We leave." Yuui answered as he flipped through pages.

"Can't they just make more?"

"It takes a long, long time." Fai interrupted as he looked at Kurogane. He saw the hunter about to speak before Yuui spoke up first.

"There are the great Gods. It's not the mother or the maiden or the crone people worship now. There is one who is evil. His followers aren't as strong as they used to be. They stay hidden and secretive after Valeria was destroyed." Yuui opened the journal and flipped through its yellowing pages. "'It's said that the gods yearn for children, but they can't have children of their own so they breed with mortals. Most of these attempts end in failure, others in half formed offspring who die soon after and then there are those who are monstrous. There are three born of women we brought to the great temple. Three great daughters who I am sure will please the gods in all their glory. Shashi's womb has quickened with the gods seed and if the gods are good she will swell and bear him a living son with whom he can use to breech this world and make it his own.'" Yuui closed the book again and looked a little pale.

"They were stealing women or using their own to use as broodmares for some unholy creature." Fai spat and brought his knees to his chest as he stared into the flames.

It seemed as if Kurogane was processing it all as he remained silent. After some time he sighed drawing the twins attention. "I'll help you destroy them. You need the help."

"We couldn't. It's very dangerous." Fai insisted. "We don't want your blood on our hands."

"Then you could have warned me about what we were going up against this morning." He glared. Kurogane had a point.

"If at of your own volition, then you can come with us. You can leave whenever you want." Yuui added.

Kurogane scoffed. "I'm a hunter, one of the last and I'll be damned if I turn tail and run now. You will have my sword in the fights to come."

Yuui let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Thank you."

----

Comments

[loxxxlay]

(hey just wanted to let u know I am working on reading this fic!! <3 and I will definitely vote before the voting period is up. Just didn't want you to think I'd skipped over it, because I am enjoying it immensely thus far! :D)

[tsubasafan]

Thank you!

[loxxxlay]

1. How well did this fic handle the prompt? 9
2. How well did this fic fit their team’s theme? 10
3. How much did you enjoy this fic overall? 8

Ohhhh, so I had to take a break reading this because of how busy I got, but by the time I came back and reached the halfway mark, I couldn't stop! This was really fun to read, and I absolutely loooved the climax/ending. <3 Nice job. Also, I appreciate Yuui's presence in this fic like no otherrrr <3!!!!

(Note: If this vote needs to go on your previous post to be counted, let me know and I'll comment my vote there too.)