Role Playing Fan Fiction / Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Syndicate ❯ Chapter 3

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

The camp was a good fifteen minute hike that they insisted that Midnight walked on his own. He dragged his feet letting the bloodloss and pain take an affect on his body. His head hung and his steps wavered in and out of the path they were taking. Every now and then, he was manually placed back into the center of the group. They were prisoners after all. "We're almost there." The leader had announced. Whether it was for Saya and Midnight to know, no one knew. Just a few minutes later, the group came across a small campsite. Dingy tents of all kinds were littered around one campfire. There were horses and a small cabin a few yards away. In reality, it was more like a small town than a camp. Midnight opened his glassy eyes onto the small population. The wound to his mouth was really becoming a nuisance. He absently wrapped his tongue around the shaft then let it go. It would be so easy just to bite through it and rid himself of its presence. However he needed these fools to mistaken him as a human until he had a proper plan of escape.

They walked down a slope toward the small town coming to a stop only when they reached the dead center of it. Slowly, one by one, people began to come out viewing the most recent catch. "I thought you were bringing something to eat...not..." A man spoke up waving a hand toward the two captives. A frown was clear on his face as well as others.

The archman stepped forward. A confident smirk played on his face as he waved for two others from the back to step forward. Three deer carcasses were thrown to the man's feet. "This should last you until the end of the week." He stated. His dark eyes scanned over the others finding their frowns replaced by praising smiles. Idiots. All of them. They were too much like livestock to be considered useful but he was stuck with them until better or worse. At that thought, he looked up to the clear blue sky noting a small stack of smoke rising up just west. Well it looked like the worse may be coming. He smirked as he turned away from the man. "Take the wounded one to the cabin and the child to the nursery." He called.

One of the men moved forward to grab Saya. The girl instantly protested with kicks and screams not wanting to leave Midnight's side. Her little hands gripped at her caretakers leg as she was tugged until Midnight couldn't take her high pitched yells any longer. In a blur of motion, he crashed his foot into the man's face nearly taking his jaw off in the process. The man staggered backwards clutching the useless thing in his hands while two more took his place. Midnight put himself between them and Saya. His once fevered blue eyes were ablaze. Just before the fight could begin, a slow drawling handclap sounded bringing everyone's attention back to the leader. He smirked at Midnight. "Very well executed." He said in a low amused voice. He stepped forward only half a step. "Let me guess....you don't need any medical attention either, ne?" He questioned.

Midnight only straightened from the stance he had taken. His head held high and his eyes still as murderous as they were before. His jaw flexed once followed by the sound of splintering wood. Gasps resignated from all that could see the pieces of arrow dropping from the man's mouth. Midnight turned his head absently to spit out the piece that was still inside his mouth before flexing his jaw once again. The gaping holes in his cheeks were still evident for only a moment leaving his skin perfectly smooth and making the blood that had trailed down his face oddly misplaced. More gasps sounded. "What are you?" He was the only one to speak. His dark eyes were all for the entity that was Midnight.

Midnight only gave the man a slow smirk. Wouldn't he like to know. The other manonly snorted at the lack of an answer. He snapped his fingers sharply. "Hajime." Was all he said before a young man wearing a similar kimono appeared. His hair was the same dark color as the other but his eyes were more of a charcoal than a black. "Take these two to one of the empty tents and tend to them." The man ordered. Hajime nodded silently turning to give Midnight a respectful bow. That seemed to please the dark haired man. Without protest, he followed Hajime as the young man turned to lead the way.
The tent was just five minutes outside of the main part of the camp. It was box shaped instead of the standard triangular structure. Around it were large stones forming a circle all around it. Those stones seemed to keep the extra fine sandthat was douced on the ground inside. "You keep your captives here." Midnight stated. He continued to walk along side Hajime absently listening for Saya's footsteps. The smell of old death trickled against his nose. His footsteps stopped once they reached the ring of stones.

"Yes, they keep them here for...a while, no food, no water." Hajime answered. His voice was pensive but a plesant tenor nonetheless. He continued to walk into the ring silently. By the way the sand swirled and blew once his feet touched the surface hinted at the fact that maybe it wasn't just sand.

"And the sand...."

"Ashes. The ones who don't make it are burnt and left here."

Midnight's hand shot out to his side then just in time to stop Saya from stepping inside. These grounds weren't normal. What were keeping these people from leaving this place. There were no noticeable boundaries. His eyes narrowed watching their escort come to stop in front of the flaplike door. Hajime turned slowly turning his dark grey eyes to the other man. "I want the cihld to be taken back to the main part."

"But! No!" Saya instantly protested. Her small arms wrapped around Midnight's unyeilding arm tightly. He wouldn't budge.

"Keep her in the nursery...but if anything happens to her....your village will pay." Midnight stated meeting Hajime's eyes. The young man's gaze dropped to his feet. He nodded slowly as he turned to go retrieve Saya and lead her back. As he stepped from the ring, Midnight stepped inside. His eyes met Saya's. "I'm not leaving you, Saya. I'll come back for you." He told her as he slipped his arm away. With that, he stepped the rest of the way into the ring feeling a rush of an old spell swirl around him. Wisps of his black hair slowly floated at his side as he bravely made his way to the shack. He was inside before Hajime turned to lead the girl back to the town. Saya whimpered softly but turned with the older man slowly. Their walk back was silent until she caught sight of one of the few females located in the area. Quickly, she turned back to Hajime.

"Give him this." She said holding out Mr. Bear. Her brown eyes were hopeful. Hajime looked down at the little toy. "For he can know that I'll be waiting for him. No matter how long." She added. A small smile graced her lips as the pink toy was finally lifted from her hands.

Hajime held the toy against his chest with one hand. His eyes lifted to the woman coming to retrieve the child. "I will give it to him." He said before finally turning.

****

Back at the shack, Midnight had made himself slightly comfortable. The inside of the shack was bare to say the most. There was a single bed made of hays. Not comfortable in the least. By taking the furs from the table top and from around it, he quickly remedied that. He stared down at the makeshift bed blandly. He wouldn't be making it to the next village. He had to sigh at the thought. What if he had missed his chance. He shook his head. There was no point in dwelling on it. If Loath was still in that village it would be a miracle. If he wasn't, Midnight would simply have to double his efforts by traveling at night. With that mind set, he turned to face the room. His movements slowed to a jerking halt as his eyes settled on a forlorn young man standing in front of him.

"You should not be here." The young man said. He was slightly shorter than Midnight. His skin was ashen pale and his eyes were drastically shadowed by the fall of his wiry blonde hair. Though his body stood before the other, Midnight could easily tell that there was no one inside. What he was seeing was a ghost.

"Neither should you." He answered back going back about his workings to make the place suitable. He was grateful to see that the ashes were only scattered outside of the hut leaving the inside with cool lush grass. Not too bad if he did say so.

"What do you know." Another voice, female. Midnight didn't look up. Instead, he examined the wall of the structure carefully. There was a rack for something with a blanket folded neatly on top. "None of us should be here." The woman continued. Her voice was harsh and jaded. The tone was enough to send a cold chill up Midnight's spine. Still he didn't look at her. The dead couldn't help him right now. "Look at me when I speak to you!" She shouted shrilly. Second later, Midnight felt himself grabbed by the shoulder. He was spun quickly coming face to face with a woman.

She was twenty or young and would have been very beautiful if it wasn't for the horrid sneer on her face. Her too bright green eyes glared forward from her pale sweat soaked face. Her whole body was bare from the waist up baring the possible cause of her death. A large gash ran from her left shoulder to just above her groin. The jagged cut ran deep by the way the shadows hid her internal organs, Midnight had thought. Squinting his eyes, he could see that there were no internal organs to be hidden. She had been completely gutted. He frowned and turned away from her regardless. Such trivial gore wasn't going to frighten him. It wasn't until he focused back on the table did he begin to question whether he'd be able to stay here.

Three children, all grinning wildly, were knelt at the table covered in gore. Various utensils were clutches in their tiny hands. In the center of the table was a steaming pile of....the woman's organs.

Midnight swallowed and looked away. The smell of ripe blood and other things slowly began to assault his senses. Shaking his head, he took quick steps to the door. He quickly tossed the flap to the side only to freeze feeling something cold and solid embed itself into his chest. He was able to gasp for only a second before finding himself thrown back across the room.

He landed heavily on the very bed he had just put together. His wide eyes looked quickly around the room. This was much more than what he had expected. He growled angrily to himself.

"They're kept here...." Midnight looked up sharply at the sound of Hajime's voice. He stood with Saya's bear clutched in one hand. Another growl left the dark haired hellhound. He was on his feet in seconds stalking toward the other. He took Hajime by the throat and easily lifted him off of the ground with his fangs bared. Hejime only met his gaze with neutral acceptance. "These grounds....there's something about them that keeps the dead and living here."

"Why are you able to come and go then?" Midnight questioned. His gripped tightened until he heard he first sound of discomfort from the other.

"I don't........know." Hajime fought to speak and breathe.

"CH." Midnight hissed in annoyance. He glared up at the young man before letting him drop to the ground. "And why was I bought here?"

"If you survive...they'll keep you. Try to keep you. If you don't...they'll add you to the rest of them. They'll keep you here fifteen days. If you don't die from sleep deprivation, you'll either die from starvatoin or going completely insane."

Midnight snorted and looked slowly around he shack. He wasn't going to let this get the better of him. He turned on his heals still glowering silently. "Why no food?"

"They'll make it into something else. Bread will become maggot-filled, Meat will become decomposed slop, water will become blood..." Hajime paused. He could see more than here the laughter coming from the other man.

"Then bring me water." Midnight stated turning to the young man. His hands raised to his shirt to begin undoing his shirt. Hajime swallowed and nodded once. Quickly pushing to his feet, he trotted out of the hut to do as he was told.


TBC......

A/N: NOOOOOOO! I don't know what I'm doing! Gosh! >_O I already had to change this chapter and I'm finally happy with it. Sorry it took so long. I'm a bit...internet deficient right now. Just means more chapters for you.