Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Angel of Death ❯ Enter Adrian ( Chapter 9 )

The Angel of Death

Chapter 9

Enter Adrian

A moment later, the others arrived there. Ebony was crouched over an electronic device the size of a closed fist. When everyone settled down, she flicked some switch somewhere and a hologram appeared.

An image appeared just above the device. It was oddly three-dimensional and resembled a ghostly apparition. It was an image of a man.

Adrian. Adrian Drynwyn, Prince of Lethe.

"Hey!" said a new voice making everyone jump. "I know that guy. That's Ebony's brother!"

Kazuma Shizuru, sister of Kuwabara. "Well, hello everyone." she said. "What a pretty kettle of fish! You're all here."

"How did you know Prince Adrian?" asked Botan suspiciously, not even bothering to greet Shizuru.

"Everybody does, Botan," sighed Kuwabara rolling his eyes slightly. "Hiya, sis. How's your date?"

"That's none of your business, little brother." answered Shizuru in a mock sisterly fashion.

Kuwabara didn't bother to answer back since the person was already speaking.

"Good morning, Lethe! This is your friendly neighborhood prince the baby-killer Adrian coming live from the beaches of the Caribbean," he peered briefly, squinting at the furious glare of the tropical sun. "Is that you, Ebony?"

"Yeah, it's me. How's the weather out there?"

"Do you have to ask?" The breeze gently disarrayed his chestnut locks. He ran his fingers through it the way he usually does. He seems to think it makes him look sophisticated. "The sun can scorch but the water is ravishingly beautiful. The wind can sweep a guy of his feet, though."

"Wind?" countered Ebony. "I think you mean the babes in bikinis. Don't forget your not there to have fun. I'm telling Aisha."

Adrian's communication suddenly became clouded. "I just broke up with her," he said in a plaintive manner. He took out a pair of sunglasses and wore them over his greyish purple eyes hiding the mixed emotions in his almond-shaped, thick-lashed Spanish eyes.

"Oh, I see." said Ebony her own Grey eyes sympathetic. "Even Aiea seems to have lost hope on Ixion."

The lopsided wistful smile he wore suddenly vanished replaced by a mock reprimanding one. "That's none of our business, Niobe. We're getting far from the subject here."

"Sorry. I'm not able to establish contact with Kentrona. Perhaps, all those energy and spells are interfering with the signals."

"In the first place, sis, you don't have to use that junky, inefficient contraption. Use your powers for heaven's sake."

"You know I can't. It's self inflicted punishment."

"For what? For whupping the ass of a supervillain?"

"You're the one becoming out of hand here, Adrian."

"Well, the others are there?"

"Who?"

"The people Koenma of Reikai was talking about who turned out to be the guys there in Ningenkai."

"Yeah. So you have spoken to them in Kentrona? How's Andromache?"

"They've hidden her, of course. I can't tell you. Walls have ears."

"Listen, have you cast that spell in the Bermuda triangle? That's one of the places with the greatest ectoplasmic disturbances."

"Yes. And have you finished there? It's not fair. I have to circumnavigate the world and all the while you sit there warming your ass."

"Oh stop bickering, Adrian! What did they say about Makai?"

"Azrael's minions has attacked the eastern part of that world and right now they're in the line of fire. They intercepted another siege in the north but are able to suppress it for now. The southern plains have formed their ranks and are about to attack his camps around that region."

"Any instructions for me?"

"Yeah. Even though those spells will minimize the possibility of any tearing of the portals, Azrael is still capable of breaking the seal. Now divide your forces among the portals in your area, which is only two. Establish communications once in a while so as to inform each other of one's present condition."

"What about the other portals?"

"We're not the only ones working on this, Ebony. Reikai sent us their forces, too. Makai is busy defending themselves though but there are exceptional humans capable of the responsibility."

"How many people have you got with you?"

"I'm down to twenty. I still have to go to Salem and Stonehenge and I'm leaving some men here."

"Do they have trouble blending in with the local folks." Ebony giggled at the thought of the seven-foot Hawthorn riding a surf board.

"Not as much as expected. Look, I really have to go. We have to cross the Atlantic Ocean for crying out loud."

"Why not go to Salem first?"

"Cause I'll be staying at that Bewitching city. And I'm a warlock."

"Fine, fine. Take care."

"Half a moment!" ordered Adrian sharply. "Isn't that my pants you're wearing?"

"Ha! Well, you're wearing my khaki shorts, my straw hat, my sandals, my sunglasses. Can't you buy your own clothes? You get more allowance than I do."

"You win, you win. See ya!"

"Wait. I really want to talk to the others in Lethe."

"Sorry. You might try the astral plain."

"Alright, you tell them. I get the feeling that we're protecting the wrong mother. It's so un--Azrael if we already have the mother in our hands. He likes playing with his prey first, like a cat."

"You maybe right there, Princess. " said a new sinister voice. "After all, you had been in that predicament. You should know. It's a pity that interfering Arawn had foiled my plans then. And, oh, I am fully aware that this is the first time for you to see me personally. I'm truly sorry I'm not fully three dimensional right now. I find materializing so tiring."

Another image appeared beside Adrian but then at once everyone realized he wasn't simply an image. It was him himself though not quite in the flesh. But it's not what one might expect from a diablo. Tall, dark, and handsome... and yes, deadly.

The effects of the newcomer's arrival was quite evident due to the change of temperament of all those present in the room. None could quite avoid the foreboding, fear and the strange feeling in the gut. Every one felt something crawling on their skin and a shiver up their spine. It was fairly felt by all that the room temperature had dropped considerably not only making everyone chilly but making people's blood run cold.

And of course, he was met with various reactions, too. Kuwabara folded the frozen Yukina into his arms. Keiko clutched at the defiantly poised Yusuke. Botan grabbed at Shizuru, ruining the cigarette of the latter. Kurama's gentle facial contours deepened into a frown and the emerald fire of his eyes blazed fiercely. Even the usually unruffled Hiei looked disturbed. Only Mukuro did not falter. At least, not visibly.

Like a vampire, thought Ebony. How come those bloodsuckers are represented in the modern Ningen cinema as some handsome brute? That black cloak of his makes him seem so maleficent and so… wow! Looks can be so deceiving. How true, how true!

"I do hope your Majesties don't drop my dropping in," said Azrael. "And I'm sorry I haven't paid a visit earlier. No matter, a state visit to Kentrona is scheduled by myself soon. Well, I have been hanging around the astral plain hoping to catch glimpse of the psychic Ebony. Instead, I find her in cyber space. So it's true. You are unable to manipulate your powers. How disappointing! I had hoped to meet in battle the great Princess of Lethe who wiped out a whole army in a matter of seconds." The voice was amazingly friendly and rather mesmerizing, not the deathly voice they all imagined. It was in truth dreamy and Botan stuck her fingers into her ears to shut it out.

"Then fight me you worthless scoundrel!" demanded Adrian. "I want my parents avenged, too."

Azrael looked at him smugly. "Sorry, pretty boy," he said in a mock fatherly voice. "I only fight those worthy to be my opponent. And none of you are. Not even you, Ningen."

The last statement was directed to Yusuke who had pried himself off Keiko's grasp and was about to bark a challenge.

"Foolish mortals," said Azrael, laughing in soft merry bell-like tone not in the least pleasant but like icy water down ones back. His statement was now directed to Kuwabara who was about to pick the tossed gauntlet. " You can't even match the famous Yusuke, son of the great Raizen, nor the legendary Kurama, and certainly not the renowned wielder of the Kouryuhha. They themselves are not worthy of my attention and you dream of meeting me face to face, mano e mano?"

"Stop your words of self-praise, Azrael," said Ebony darkly. "What do you want?"

"Why," answered he in mock surprise. "You, of course. I won't be able to posses your body as mine, but you'll be a most helpful hench-person. Then you can be reunited with your pal Ixion. Of course, being a loving person myself, I wouldn't want Iantha to have a doomed love affair so I'll accommodate her as well. And you, Adrian, despite your big mouth and haughty disposition, you will be useful, too. What more if I had Audric? And you all. Wouldn't that be nice!"

Ebony said nothing. Adrian crinkled his nose, almost an exact replicate of Ebony's as if in distaste. "That's where you'll fail old man," he said insolently. "You know how powerful the Guardians of Lethe are. You have been shamed by their incredible strength more than once!"

Azrael's booming voice rolled formidably across the room. "The Guardians would have long crumbled hast it been for Ebony. Perhaps I need to remind you of Ygg and the girl Hepaticae. You want me to tell that heart wrenching tale when she took off with your heart and crushed it?!!" Another cackle was let loose.

Ebony looked fearfully at her brother. She remembered the times he was so taciturn. Only sometime ago, he was so cold to all females, chauvinistic even. But she sighed, half-relieved, as she saw that Adrian only paled, his authentic Drynwyn brows meeting in a scowl. "I never really loved her anyway," he said roughly, deigning to hide the edginess in his voice. "I'm a boy toy, in case you didn't know. And it's common knowledge I just flirted with her."

"Well, if you say so," said Azrael tauntingly. "Anyway, even your combined strength wouldn't stand a chance against mine. In case you've forgotten, Ebony had already sealed her new found powers and with it her older more renowned ones, which were honed during puberty."

"It doesn't mean I can't destroy you, Azrael." Ebony's bold words betrayed nothing of her true feelings. She looked impressively noble but in truth the girl's heart quailed. Azrael was absolutely right!

"What?" asked Azrael, his voice oozing with venom. "Your petty spells wouldn't even glaze my skin!"

Ebony didn't say anything. She just paled a bit but her eyes blazed more fiercely than ever. Azrael contemplated her reaction with slight amusement.

"You want to tear me apart, don't you? Annihilate me completely, even. Tut, tut! You're not the only one.

"Foolish child! The entities who dream of challenging me number the stars and they won't even set their eyes on me. Fate provided you the luck of being worthy enough to step on my presence but you threw it away. With that knowledge, despair and be maddened with regret!"

Silence. Keiko was crushed against Yusuke's chest. So was Yukina on Kuwabara's. Shizuru was silently puffing on her cigarette with Botan cringing on her. Kurama reflected deeply.

The only thing audible was Ebony's heavy breathing. She was obviously struggling to smother her explosive churning emotions. Her eyes were shut tight, her fists whitening in the knuckles, and her head was hung.

Adrian did not care to see the fascinating yet frightening gaze of Azrael either. His back was turned, his eyes gazing into the glistening sea, calming himself, trying to extinguish the fiery protective wrath he felt for his sister. He had always suppressed these kind of emotions. He thinks them unnatural.

Oddly enough, perhaps because everyone was too preoccupied to notice, Hiei had crept up to Mukuro. He sat there on the floor with her, not touching, not making any contact at all . Just being there.

Azrael spoke again. "But of course, that doesn't mean you can't fight me Ebony." He grinned diabolically. "You are correct. Your sister-in-law is not the woman I'm looking for. You see, before I killed your accursed parents, they somehow managed to utter out of their bleeding mouths the spells to immune the whole bloodline of Drynwyn from me. So even if your nephew-to-be prove capable of supporting me, I won't be able to get him. The best I can do is suck out his life like what I'm going to do with you.

"Don't bother calling him, Adrian. Your brother isn't termed the personification of wisdom for nothing. And it is a pity you two younger ones are too 'adolescent' to listen. He figured it out already. Audric is already alerting the three worlds. He just won't be able to call you since I'm jamming your signals. That's why I volunteered to do it for them.

"Now here's the deal, Ebony. Let's play a little game. It's very boring to sit around here waiting for you working ants scurrying about with your pitiful weapons to finally track me down and at least make me sweat a bit.

"The mother isn't in my hands yet but it will soon be. For excitement's sake, I'll give you clues for you to be able to find her. Don't worry I won't take her till you figure it out. I have other plans, see."

Azrael stopped, as if expecting Ebony to give a remark or something. She, however, kept her mouth shut and merely raised her sharp eyes to the ageless one. But Azrael only returned her dagger eyes with a cool collected smile and looked straight back at her with is mysterious yellow eyes. Yellow as in the iris is yellow.

"I heard you're fond of intercoursing with the muses. A literary buff, I think you call it. Very well, here are your clues: Quasimodo, Rapunzel, Phileus Fogg, Cyrano de Bergerac, Oliver Twist.

"Hmm. That's it I think. That is sufficient enough. Until we meet again. And oh, before I forget. You are getting older dearest princess and so are you Prince Adrian. Let me remind you both that it is a custom in the royal line of Lethe to marry on their 21st birthday. Your sister Iantha had already broken that tradition. Don't tell me you, too, are going to as well.

"Anyway, darling, one piece of advice. Don't have children. Childbearing can take a great toll on your powers. In fact, had your mother not exhausted her strength in birthing you, they might have been successful in finishing me off."

Azrael grinned nastily. Ebony's burning gaze didn't falter though she had a flutter in her chest and a chilly feeling that Azrael was talking to someone else. True, he did stare back into the bottomless pit of her pupils but the message was seemingly directed to someone else. Keiko? Does she harbor some secret powers? Is she--? Now way! She's too prim and proper for that. Besides, Yusuke wouldn't dare. He's too honorable. No, it was directed to me, Ebony thought as she forced herself to forget what he said.

The angel of death was gone. The others seem to have just awakened from a horrible nightmare. Indeed, Hiei didn't even notice Yukina and Kuwabara being mushy. Well, Kuwabara wasn't as excited at the prospect as expected. He was amazingly silent and not being boisterously gallant the way he usually was.

Yusuke, too, held a silently sobbing Keiko in his arms. Shizuru however tried to comfort the wailing Botan. Personally, she's probably more depressed about seeing two pairs of love birds beside her. She's probably jealous since her man wasn't there.

The appearance of Azrael has finally convinced them of the danger he really possessed. None of them could quite imagine that they had actually survived being with that creature inside one room. It gave one the most unpleasant feelings and thoughts. Now, they already knew who Azrael is. Now...

"I wonder what it all means." wondered Kurama aloud.

4th ed. 111201 19:26:21