Fan Fiction ❯ The Birth Of Cain - Act I ❯ Cain - The Lone Warrior ( Chapter 1 )

Act I The Lone Warrior

 

Chapter I

 

"YOUKAI ATTACKING!" the townspeople shouted, and it was a signal that told them to flee for their lives. Everybody ran. Everybody, for the exception of one person. He was tall; all dressed in black, opposite his long, snow-white hair. He bore a katana at his side and wore a straw hat, the shadow falling on his face and hiding his eyes. As everybody rushed to their hiding places, he just finished his sake and went outside. Then he simply stood there, his head bowed, his right hand on the hilt of his katana. Suddenly he lifted his head slightly, as if hearing something far away, and in an instant broke into a run, and rushed out of the town, opposite to where everybody else was going.

At the very edge of the city, where the yellow sand street became a road, surrounded not by small wooden houses, but wide seas of grass, he ran into a small blue drake youkai. Yet, even being a small drake, it was over 45 feet in length. It was rushing at the city at a great speed, which was characteristic for the snake dragon youkai. It hissed and snapped at the character while rushing by, but he jumped back, seemingly effortlessly evading the sudden attack. However it seemed like the snake dragon didn't much care for the dark character it met, and headed straight into the city, howling and roaring. Just as the drake's tail was about to pass him, the character grabbed it with both hands. He braced himself, and was first pulled forward, but he quickly found foothold and jerked the dragon violently. The drake was stopped, and it suddenly spun around and surrounded the lone warrior, then looked him straight in the face.

"Who are you?" the drake asked. Its voice was cold and sinister, like most of the beast youkai.

"I am your demise, and that is all you need to know," the stranger replied. His voice being somehow similar to the drake's, yet still different. He didn't sound like a beast... that much.

"Look, I had no deal with you, but since you obviously want to die, I shall rid this world of you first!" the drake said and suddenly lunged at the stranger, slamming its jaws where the character's head had been a second ago, but now he wasn't there. He was airborne, above the drake. The youkai quickly spun around and attacked him again.

Somehow, the stranger leaped aside while in the air, the drake missing again. It began snapping and clawing at the fighter with its muscular hands, yet he kept evading the blows. "Who ARE you? You're not of this village."

"How can you be sure?"

"This isn't the first time I attack this village, and never has anyone tried to confront me."

"Well, there's a first time for everything. Why do you attack this village? Did they harm you?"

The drake laughed. "That's amusing. I am a youkai, boy. Death and destruction are in my blood. We, youkai, strive to surpass others like us, to grow stronger. But I wouldn't expect a human like yourself to understand anything of the great youkai race." And with that the youkai executed an extremely fast swing at the fighter with its tail. He bent back, and the attack only took off the front of his hat.

He quickly jumped back and took off what remained of his hat. He hissed and dropped it, then quickly ran at the drake, not letting it get a good look at him. He moved at it in a zigzag way, slightly confusing his opponent. The drake was trying to follow his movements, but suddenly the character burst straight at it, his sword drawn back. The drake was still trying to follow the attacker's zigzag movements, and almost didn't notice how he approached it and slashed.

The youkai quickly moved away and the attack missed. It spun around the character and tried to grab him with its right hand, but he raised his left, and the drake grabbed it instead. The dragon jerked, but the character held back and barely moved. Even though the snake dragon's hand was big enough to take the character's arm from the elbow to the palm, it seemed their strength was the same. The drake tried to grab him with its other hand, but he dropped his sword and his hand met the dragons. For a moment he stood there, struggling against the drake, then he laughed and jumped, spinning around in the air, and the drake let go.

The character grabbed his sword, laughed and dashed left when the drake snapped at him.

Now he was standing behind the youkai. The drake looked at him. He was standing straight, sword drawn, but at his side. His head was bowed low and eyes were closed.

"What is it? Afraid to look in the face of your death?" the drake said.

The stranger lifted his head and opened his eyes, looking straight into the youkai's. His eyes were strange. They were dark red, and his ears were long and pointed, and the warrior had a strange cross on his forehead, the color of his eyes. The drake stopped for a second. "So, it's you..."

"Yes, it is me."

The drake seemed like at a loss of words. "...N... No matter! I will kill you nonetheless! You are but a shadow of your former self!"

"You won't even touch me," the fighter said and suddenly leaped at the youkai, slashing at its side, but the sword only scratched the diamond-like scales. The drake once again spun around and spat a blue flame-like gas, which froze the ground where the fighter was standing, but he evaded the attack again. He appeared at the drake's neck and swung his sword at it, but the scales were too hard to break. The fighter rebounded from the neck and landed about 15 feet away.

"I see you have discovered the characteristic of us Ice Drakes. Do you really think you can beat me with that chopstick? You're going to have to swing really, really hard, you know," it said and laughed. The youkai inhaled deeply and spat something like a fireball, but made of the same blue gas from the previous attack.

At the same time the fighter's blade began glowing light, light blue, almost white, and, as he swung the blade at the dragon, a large energy card, colored just like the glow, and with a cross like that on the fighter's forehead on it, flew at the opponent. The attack sliced through the blue fireball and cut a deep wound in the face of the youkai, then broke into a dozen shards that disappeared before they reached the ground. The drake howled in pain, and the stranger quickly jumped at it and, blade still glowing, sliced through the neck, severing its head. The sword left an energy trail that disappeared after a while.

The drake's body still moved and shifted a little, then stopped. In a second the body turned from flesh to dark red energy and was quickly chipping down and flying away, like burned paper in the wind. The stranger looked at it for a while, watching the energy fly away, then sighed and went back into town. He entered the guesthouse he was staying in and paid his bill at the counter, which was still empty. He took another straw hat and left the building.

 

The dark character was rather far outside of town, when he heard somebody shouting behind him. He turned around, and a short while later a small boy, running towards him, waving, appeared at the horizon. He reached the fighter and for a minute stood bent over, panting.

"Stranger I... I come from the village," the boy said and now was trying to catch his breath. "I am sent to ask, if you would please return with me, so we could thank you. Please."

He looked at the boy, thinking for a moment, then nodded. They went back to the town, where the mysterious hero was greeted by all the townspeople. Over two hundred people were in the town square, all wanting to see, meet and thank the mysterious person.

The town elder cleared his throat and the noise died down. "Honored warrior, we all are our lives and our possessions in debt to you. Would you please honor us with your name?"

"I am Cain."

"Master Cain! We thank you for the grace you have showed us by ridding these lands from the youkai fiend. Let us all pray to God that someday the people of Heion can truly live at peace. We owe you everything we have, so, if there is anything we have, that you would want, please, ask without hesitation."

At first Cain was silent, then he raised his head and said: "You have good sake and I have run out of opium."

The elder smiled and nodded. Two girls quickly ran off and soon returned, one holding a large round sake jug, and the other holding a leather bag. They handed them to Cain and bowed. He tied both items to his red belt. "You are a blessing from God. We hope that someday this world will be free from the plague known as youkai. Wishing someone's destruction is wrong, but I just can't help myself. Don't you wish that all the youkai be gone? The world would be such a better place!"

Although it couldn't be seen, Cain's smile could be felt. "Well, no, I can't say I'd want every youkai dead."

"Hmmm... Well, honestly, I don't understand you, but that's alright. Sorry, I believe you have business of your own to attend to. So, let me shake hands with you, as farewell," the elder said and extended his hand to shake Cain's. Cain hesitated at first, but then took the elder's hand and shook it.

The elder smiled, looked at Cain's hand and suddenly paled. Cain's fingernails were long and sharp. Cain let go his grip and crossed his arms, putting each in the others sleeve. At first the elder wasn't able to say anything, but he calmed down and took a deep breath. "Master Cain, for as long as this day is remembered, you will be mentioned in our prayers. May God help you on the path He has chosen for your life. Bless you, and remember, if you are ever in search for a place of peace, come to us, for there will always be a place for you among us."

Cain nodded, turned and left, the people staying behind, watching his silhouette disappear in the distance.

 

--

 

The sun was low and bright red on the horizon, the clouds were orange and violet on the west, but the eastern sky was already black. It sometimes fascinated how beautiful the evening sky was, but something about this beautiful picture was strange, making you feel uneasy instead of happy. Lately things like that were noted more and more often on Teikoku, and quickly many prophets and wise men appeared, telling of these as omens of evil and a dark future, doom. Though most people ignored their rants, they couldn't help but wonder if they were right, if there was something amiss. And though it was also true for Cain, he didn't much care for whatever happened. He had never cared for the future, only there and now.

Cain was unhurriedly walking, leaving footprints in the cool evening grass. Suddenly he stopped. He lifted his head, as if listening for something in the darkness. He sighed. "There will be no peace for Cain tonight," and suddenly an energy card, just like that of Cain's flew at him. He tilted his head a bit and the card went just past his face, slicing a part off his straw hat. "Damn it! What's with the hats?" he quietly swore, but then quick footsteps could be heard. Somebody was running at him.

"Bastard!" a voice just like Cain's shouted, and Cain bent back just in time to evade the swing of a blade.

Cain jumped backwards, hand on the hilt of his katana. "Is that how you greet family, brother?" he asked and smiled. Opposite Cain was standing someone very similar to himself. Although their faces were slightly different, there were many similarities. They both wore the same black kimonos, tied with the same red belts. Both their swords had the same color dark blue sheaths. Even more unnerving was their physical resemblance. They both had long, snow-white hair that reached to their ankles, and two peculiar long strands of hair hanging over their faces. They had eyes the same color and both had the same cross on their foreheads.

"Go to hell, Cain! I told you this wouldn't be over until one of us dies! And I don't intend to." Cain's younger brother said and lifted his sword to eye-level, the end pointed at Cain.

" Alright, answer me, what am I going to die for, then? What is it I did, that I deserve death? If you give me a good enough reason, I'll kill myself." Cain said.

Abel hissed and said: "What, did you forget already? It was YOU who killed her. Maybe it was the damn drakes that dealt the deathblow, but YOU killed her. YOU weren't there when she needed you. And you took me away, too... and I lost her She was MINE!"

"You see, that's your problem! She wasn't yours! She was her own."

"I LOVED her!"

"BULLSHIT! *I* loved her, she loved me, and you knew it. So don't you..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Abel interrupted. "Do you remember anything at all? Yeah, I knew you loved her, too. And I knew she loved you back, but the thing was that YOU WEREN'T EVER THERE! You were always off training, achieving perfection, and don't you tell me that I'm to blame for her coming to me. I was the only one at her side."

Cain became quiet. Abel was right. He hadn't been there. Though it wasn't for him... nothing had ever been for him... They had something special, Cain and her... but he couldn't have. Not then not yet. 'Dammit... Why...? Why did it have to happen so soon?'

"So, it's coming back, isn't it? You're not blameless yourself, big brother. At least know she died knowing what true love was... what we had."

Suddenly something inside Cain burst. It felt like all the blood in his veins had been set on fire, and he was trying his hardest not to kill Abel then and there. "The fuck do you know about love?" Cain hissed through clenched teeth. "I knew who you truly were. With your little act, you managed to fool everyone... even father and mother... but not me... or Genjuro, for that matter. We saw you for the spoiled asshole you truly were. You could have had any ANY one from our clan, everybody knew it... but you chose her... And not for love, but only because you knew *I* loved her. You were jealous of me... you had always wanted to achieve what I did, but you couldn't..."

"Shut up!" Abel shouted. It seemed he was getting angry, too. "I was to be king... but everyone looked up to you... everyone thought you should rule... I had heard them say so, that you should be king. 'The most promising, fascinating of the White Dragons', that's what they called you... and father agreed. You know what that feels like, Cain? To be considered worse than somebody else, when YOU'RE supposed to be the best?"

"What, are you blaming me for being better than you? For being more talented? That's bullshit, and you know it. You would have been the greatest if you had worked at all. No, you enjoyed what came along with your title, so you slack off. You do whatever you want, and nobody can tell you wrong. You were damn ambitious, but so lazy you wouldn't even find your own love!"

"I TRIED! I worked, I trained!"

"Yeah, twice..."

"Screw you, Cain!"

"Yeah, whatever..."

A moment of silence ensued.

"Why?" finally Abel said, still sounding angry. "Why did you have to leave? Why did you have to let father die? And WHY did you forget our legacy? You disgrace the White Dragons, living your new life! Don't you have any respect for ANYTHING?"

Cain was silent for a moment. "I had to leave because I couldn't stand watching you and her together. I left father because he told me to. And I live this way because I have nothing left to fight for. You took it all away," Cain said, his voice switching from anger to pain. He still had nightmares, he still remembered... it all still hurt.

"*I* took it all away? The hell are you talking about?"

"Who retreated when seeing the drake army? Who left father and me alone? I could have saved him, if only you had been there. If you had stayed with her and the others... I would have felt the danger, I would have been there and she would still live. Does that make sense enough, or did you not finish school?"

Abel shouted, losing his patience, and launched at Cain. He swung at him, but Cain caught his hand and held it tight.

"I might not be nearly as powerful as I once was... but neither are you. What happened?"

Abel hissed and jerked his hand. Cain let go, and Abel took several steps back and attacked again. Cain quickly drew his sword and blocked Abel's attack, then shifted forward, their faces nearly touching. "No, seriously, you've gotten weaker," Cain said, now slightly confused. What was going on? It made sense that Cain wasn't quite as strong as before, but Abel...

Cain pushed him back, and Abel came back at him, swinging. Cain evaded most of the attacks, and deflected some. Something was obviously on his mind. Suddenly Abel jumped up and swung twice, launching two of the energy cards at Cain from above. Cain broke both of them and quickly bent backwards, evading Abel's swing. He moved his head back forwards, and hit Abel's forehead with his own. Abel opened his eyes after regaining his balance, only to close them again as Cain delivered a punch to his nose, then another to his jaw. Cain punched again, but had to pull his arm back quick, because Abel swung his blade in front of himself.

Cain stepped back, then jumped sideways, as to avoid another one of Abel's attacks. He quickly ducked, letting another energy card pass overhead. Abel shouted and launched four more. Cain evaded most, and broke the last. "You like the Judai Toranpu? Yeah, it's good, but there's just something missing to it..."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Abel shouted and launched at Cain again. This time Cain just stepped sideways and raised his right arm up when Abel got to him, hitting him strong on the neck, cutting Abel's air for a moment.

"Didn't father ever tell you not to attack in anger? We're not the Black Drakes, our power lies not in fury, chaos," Cain said, walking around the writhing, coughing Abel.

"The hell do you know about power?" Abel hissed back, then suddenly jumped up and swung at Cain, taking him by surprise. Abel's sword cut Cain's left shoulder, but Cain deflected the next two attacks and jumped back. "You aren't worth shit anymore," Abel said as he spread his legs and raised his sword.

"Remember who you're talking to," Cain replied flatly and raised his. The two brothers stared each other down for a moment, then suddenly, in a great burst of speed, Cain ran up to Abel and, taking him with his guard down, thrust his elbow into Abel's face, then jumped, and kicked him. Abel tripped backwards, but remained on his feet, and opened his eyes, just in time to notice Cain's slash and evade it.

"Judai Toranpu!" Abel shouted and launched a card at Cain. He simply moved out of the way, but didn't counter-attack. Cain stood there, watching Abel. This only made him angrier, and he attacked Cain again. Cain first evaded his swings, moving around Abel, keeping his eyes on his brother at all times. Abel was slowly tiring.

Then, at one of Abel's swings, Cain ducked and put his sword to Abel's throat. "Running out of strength?" Cain asked.

"Shit..." Abel swore. "Bastard..." Neither of them moved for a moment, then Cain took the sword from his brother's throat and turned to leave. For a moment Abel just stood there, trying to understand what was going on. Cain sheathed his sword and began walking away. "We're not done yet!" Abel shouted and drew back his sword. Cain stopped and sighed. The sky was nearly black.

Cain turned around and looked Abel in his eyes. He straightened up, and raised his right hand, the blade of his sword pointing at Abel. "Well, then come on!" he said and stood motionless, waiting for his brother to make the first move.

Abel hissed and began running at Cain. "Tosshin!" Abel shouted, and suddenly his speed increased dramatically. In a flash he was in front of Cain and swung, but Cain ducked, then moved out of the way for the next swing. It seemed Cain was using the Tosshin technique, too, because he was moving faster than Abel. Cain was moving so fast, you couldn't even notice his steps, just seeing him appear a bit further, disappearing from where he stood a moment ago.

Fighting like this the brothers moved to the top of a hill, where Abel kept attacking, though he was obviously tiring from the constant use of the Tosshin. Suddenly Cain disappeared after one of Abel's swings, but didn't appear anywhere near. Abel spun around looking for him, but Cain wasn't behind him either. He turned back again to see Cain's knee make contact with his face. Abel tripped backwards, his nose broken and bleeding.

"Uchimakasu!" Abel shouted, furious, and his sword began glowing just like Cain's had, when he severed the drake's head off earlier, and ran at Cain, his sword drawn back. Cain braced himself for a blow, but still, when Abel hit, he flew at least fifteen feet back, and landed at the foot of the hill. He was getting tired, too. He looked up just in time to see Abel running at him again, and evade the first swing. Cain rolled sideways and quickly jumped up, then blocked four of Abel's attacks. Both of them swung at each other at the same time, and Abel nearly dropped his sword. Cain still had more strength left.

Cain dodged several more of Abel's attacks, then jumped back. "You're almost done, Abel. There's no point in fighting anymore. Give it a rest," Cain said and sheathed his sword.

"No!" Abel shouted back, obviously determined to take this to the end. "Uchimakasu Tosshin!" he shouted, and burst at Cain, his sword glowing. But again, as he swung, Cain moved out of the way, and this time thrust his elbow into Abel's jaw. He ran several steps forward, then tripped and fell on his chest.

Cain stood up straight and looked at his brother for a while. Abel stuck his sword in the ground, and tried using it to get up, but he had no strength left, and fell back down.

"Damn... you...! Why... can't... I ever... defeat you? I... HATE... you," Abel said, panting heavily. "If I were you... I'd kill me... If not... I'll come back... and kill you some other day."

"Well, then, it's a good thing that you're not me, or you'd already be dead," Cain said and smiled.

Suddenly, there was applause. From one person. Then there was laughter. It was dark, sinister, chilling. The strangest thing was the person's double-voice. When he spoke, it was the sound of two voices in unison. "Ahh, yes, master Cain. Great, truly great. I'd expect nothing less from a son of your father. You do not disappoint me at all." One of the voices sounded rather normal, like an ordinary human voice. Yet the other was inhuman. It was high-pitched, screeching, annoying.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Me? I am Jin. Just a traveler, looking for challenges, adventure."

Cain was trying to find the person speaking. "And the other?"

"Hmm... master Cain! Very well, very well indeed! Usually people just think of me as a freak, and the thought of another doesn't occur to them. You surprise me, master Cain. Ha-ha-haaa!"

Cain grimaced. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Yes, yes! NOTHING passes by you unnoticed, Master Cain. I am Ketsueki Kiba."

"...Blood Fang? It can't be... It's just a legend..." Cain said in disbelief.

"Ah, but Master Cain, you have become a legend, too. You exist. In fact, you are a legend I have spent SO much time searching for..."

"But... Hmph! I don't give a shit. What do you want of me?"

"I don't want anything OF you. Heh-heh. No, Master Cain. I want YOU whole!" and suddenly the speaker attacked Cain. Cain ducked just in time for the swing to miss. The attacker quickly turned to face Cain and continued swinging. Cain dodged several attacks, two he deflected with his sword. Then he caught the attacker's right hand and punched the attacker in the face twice. He thrust his elbow into the attacker's stomach, let go of his arm, then jumped in the air and kicked him with both feet. It caused Jin to fly backwards from the blow, and Cain himself jumped further away. He took his battle stance and tried to get a good look at his opponent.

Jin wasn't anything unusual. An ordinary human. He had black hair, that was cut rather short, and something had made his hair point upwards, making it look spiky altogether. He was dressed in traditional red shogun armor with two sheaths with katanas at his side. Nothing unusual. Yet what was unusual was the blade he was using. It was dark green, but as it neared the tip of the blade, it became dark red, like blood. It was unlike a katana in form, for it looked like a flattened and sharpened fang. The hilt of the sword was red like the tip of the blade, yet made like a typical katana hilt. Jin stood with legs wide, facing Cain, holding the Ketsueki Kiba with both hands in front of him, pointing at Cain.

"What do you want of me?" Cain asked, trying to remain calm and not lose his patience.

"I want you to die!"