heaven and earth: Betrayal- Ch. 1 Fate Comes to Call prt1

Chapter 1: Fate Comes to Call-

The first thing Rath noticed when he came to, was that all his senses were sharper, as if a curtain had been ripped away and he was finally seeing the world clearly. Turning his head he glanced out the window, the sun shone brightly and a thin veneer of water, clung to everything. The storm had ended while Rath slept through the day, the view of the setting sun over the ocean would have been amazing. If Rath's had hadn't felt like it was going to split in two that is.

Groaning he pushed himself until he sat upright in the Health Room's rest bed. Lifting his hand he felt the bandages wrapped thickly around his head. Wincing in the light he reached over and closed the blinds partway, blocking most of the light.

Rath shook his head slowly, testing to see how badly he was hurt. He squeezed his eyes shut, steeling himself, as he swung out and stood up slowly. Using the wall as a support he walked to the door, pausing he glanced in the examination room to see papers strewn everywhere. Suddenly the door swung open, Sora and Aura walked in, Aura was shocked to see Rath already awake and up, but Sora just seemed to frown, thinking about something.

"Hey guys, sorry I worried you, guess I was more out of it then I thought."

The comment just caused Aura to worry her lip. "I'm glad you're awake, Rath, but this is serious you should see a doctor, I mean you deliberately fell down the stairs."

Rath scowled "I didn't do that on purpose Aura and I sure as hell don't need a shrink running around my head and telling me my problems."

"He's right Aura, and it's Rath, if they made him see a shrink, he'd likely fly the coop. Leave and never look back at this place."

Rath smiled at Sora over Aura’s head, "Say, the Nurse isn't here right now, what say we skip out and check out the new Restaurant over on Wilder St."

Aura grinned at him laughter flickering in her eyes. Nodding her head she grabbed his hand and pulled him to into the hall. The siblings were already halfway down the hall before they realized that Sora was still at the door. Rath turned to him with a questioning look in his eyes. Sora turned and started to jog the other way, "Sorry, I've got work to catch up on, maybe I'll catch you next time."

Rath scratched his head, realizing that Sora had been acting strange lately as well, he briefly wondered if something was wrong, before shrugging and following Ayra through the school halls.

Aura laughed lightly as she dashed out the doors. She ran down the small set of stairs, only to stop short when a shadow flashed overhead. It was Rath, he'd jumped from the school gates to the field in a flash. Aura rolled her eyes as she walked over to him.

"You're enjoying yourself a little too much for someone who by all rights should be in a hospital, in fact you should've broken you're neck." Shaking her head she stood on tiptoe too glare at him.

For the first time in months Rath felt a real grin spread across his face. "What,

should I bend down so you can lecture me in my ear?" His teasing tone took the harshness out of the words.

At nearly fifteen and a half, Rath just reached six feet, and it looked like he had a good two or three inches left to grow. About the only guy who could compete in height with him was Sora, who fell just short of the six foot mark.

Shaking his head, he grabbed Aura’s hand and the two ran across the fields, the light rain dampening their hair, the only remnant of this afternoon's storm. After awhile the pair reached the entrance to Wilder St, shivering Rath glanced over at the forest, to see a tall figure slip through the tree line, but he convinced himself he was seeing things and the bump on his head was worse than he thought. He grunted as a line of pain shot through his skull, and an air of malice seemed to hang in the air as the siblings slipped into the new student run diner.

***

As it turned out, Rath didn't imagine the figure entering the woods, the boy flitted from shadow to shadow as he neared the heart of the forest. The call was becoming urgent he had to get to the center before he lost control, or else something terrible would happen.

But fate was not to be on the boy's side, as he ran full tilt along a hill top the earth under his feet, weakened by the storm, gave way, and he went crashing down into a small meadow, with a perfectly round clear pool at it's center. The place was beautiful, peaceful, and the last place in the world Sora wanted to be.

The place had changed much since Sora had last been here, at the mid-winter solstice. On that night the sun had already set and the moon hung full in the star studded sky. The snow had been deep crystal white, untouched even by the tracks of animals. The pond was frozen in perfect stillness, and the ring of pine trees surrounding the meadow had seemed to whisper the greatest secrets of the world.

Now, with summer fast approaching wild flowers bloomed everywhere and the water of the pond lapped softly at the edges gleaming gold in the light of the setting sun. But yet again the place was swallowed by an unnatural stillness, not even a bee buzzed over the flowers.

Cautiously Sora backed towards the edge of the clearing, swearing under his breath as he prayed that it wouldn't notice where they were. But before he could get completely out of the meadow the voice rang in his head, clear as a bell.

"Looks like your unlucky boy," The voice whispered silkily, to Sora it sounded like pure darkness. "Why didn't you do as I ordered you to months ago, and kill the other? You know what that storm means; now that he's reawakened I may actually have a fight on my hands, even if his Magyk Power hasn't fully returned."

The wind picked up howling around the small clearing, yet the ponds surface remained undisturbed, smooth and calm, it drew the eye to it. But though the place appeared peaceful a sinister air hung over the meadow. Something dark seemed to lurk there, just under the ponds surface.

Gasping, Sora fell to his knees as pain wracked his body; he shook with barely contained energy. "No," The whisper came out thin, so small it was barely audible. "I won't do it. Rath is my friend, and I'm not going to listen to you anymore, Keigo." The last words ended in a choking sound as the breath rushed out of his body, and the pressure on his skull increased.

"Bravado how, amusing, and utterly naive." Dark laughter whispered through his head. "You seem to be under the mistaken impression that your, so called friend, actually has a choice in the matter, he doesn't and neither do you. A lance of glowing, acid green, light whipped in the air as Sora's body fell to the grassy forest floor.

Suddenly the entire forest burst into sound, the smaller animals ran for cover, while the larger predators went into a frenzy, hundreds of birds that had been drifting to sleep took to the sky in a panic. Off in the distance a pack of wolves began to howl. Among the chaos Sora got slowly to his feet. He raised his hands to stare at them before raking them through his dark hair. He turned in a full circle; his watchful gaze seemed to take in the whole forest.

He glanced down and a plain steel knife materialized in his palm. Almost

without thought, he ran his thumb over the blade to test its edge, immediately blood welled up from the scratch. He grimaced and shook his hand, the drops of blood flew through the air glittering like jewels as they caught and reflected the rays of the sun.

"Too bad kid, it looks like your luck ran out," Keigo's voice was soft, barely more than a whisper, it was quiet and dark. "And so has my brothers." The dagger glinted in the fading light almost seeming to shine with deadly intent.

***

The grounds for Peterson's Academy, were vast but only a small part near the ocean cliffs had ever been developed and built on, the majority of the school's property was forests and large hills. The nearest town was a good hour and a halfs drive from the school. Deep in the woods far from either the school or the town a pair of animals walked near each other.

One was a wolf cub, so young he was just starting to loose his baby fuzz, his voice hadn't even begun to deepen from a pup's yip, to the deep throated howl of adult wolves. Wolf's coat was beautiful, the under belly was silver grey, as were his paws, his ears and tail were tipped silver, and a silver mask framed his eyes. The rest of his fur was deep black shot through with silver, so that his coat glimmered like a starry night sky. His eyes were blue, so pale a shade, that it if you looked Wolf in the eyes, it was like looking in a well of ice.

Even stranger was his companion, not another wolf, or even a predator native to the region. But a young cheetah, like Wolf just old enough to be away from his mother, and like Wolf still to young to know how to hunt on his own. Flame's fur was so pale a shade of gold as to be almost white, making the cat's black spots stand out even more. And his amethyst eyes, a pale lavender purple, proved Flame was an albino, or snow leapord.

Soon Wolf and Flame came across a small burbling stream, pausing for a moment the drank deeply from the river and lay down to rest. Above the foliage was so thick that it seemed like night, and only a few rays of setting sun filtered through the tree tops.

Wolf dipped his paws in the cold water to ease the sting of walking so many miles as he mind-spoke to Flame. "I'd ask 'are we there yet?' but its pretty clear we aren't. I can still feel Keir's aura ahead of us."

"True, but you have to remember, he won't just be Keir, he'll be another person entirely, with probably no memories of his past life." Flame's comment came along with a soft growl.

"I know, but it's obvious from that storm that he's waking up. What I'm more worried about, other then his second soul, is the fact that I can sense Keigo's aura ahead."

Flame nodded sagely, the effect of worldly wisdom spoiled as he sneezed and crossed his eyes. "Yeah, and by the feel of it, he's been awake a lot longer then Keir has. I hope we can get to the school in time to stop Keigo. And I hope that we can sneak in without Keigo's Companions telling him we're here."

"Fat chance," He snorted, as Wolf stepped out of the stream and sat beside Flame. "Elation and Halse, are birds. Managing to sneak by them is about as likely, as the chance that Keir learned how to clean his room in the last oh... eight-hundred years."

The pair laughed together, but as they stood up to leave and headed once more towards the school a bolt of energy, visible only to those with spirit eyes, shot skyward. It was bright green, and for a moment the pillar seemed to take a form vaguely reminescent of a bird. Before becoming just a pillar of light.

The shock from the energy set the pairs hackles on end, and unearthly howls and roars split the air. Sounds that should have come from much larger animals, then the not even half grown pair.

Wolf took off at a lope heading north-west at a dead run, Flame just on his tail. "That was Keigo's aura!" He shouted back at Flame.

"I know!"

"It came from the school!"

"I KNOW!"

"Keir's in trouble!"

"No shit sherlock, now shut up and run!"

***

The light in the building was dim, only three of the dozen and a half tables in the diner were filled. Bad seventies rock music played in the background. "In short" Rath thought as he dug into his hamburger. "The atmosphere sucks but the food is great."

Aura sipped her drink study her brother through lowered lashes. His red hair was as wild as ever, but the strain around his eyes was gone.

"Hey Rath? Why don't you ever tell me what you're worried about anymore? When we were kids we used to tell each other everything."

Rath stopped eating and then looked over at his little sister, she was light and airy,

almost ethereal. "Times change Aura, and we change with them, as adults, or as teenagers we hide our secrets, and our wounds. It's safer; you’re less likely to get hurt that way."

After hearing what Rath said Aura sunk into sullen silence, scowling at her food. He rolled his eyes sarcastically before leaning over and pinching her nose.

"Enough, we're supposed to be ignoring that stuff right now. Besides, it’s not that I don’t want to remember of the past. I just prefer to live in the here and now"

Rath glanced outside the window and saw that it had started to rain again. The downpour made it difficult to see outside, “It almost seems as if the world is crying.” Rath jumped at the voice that threaded through the air but seemed not to have come from any actual place.

Shaking his head he stood up leaving a twenty and some change on the table. "Come on Aura; let's get out of here while we still can, as it is we'll still be soaked by the time we get to the dorms.

The pair walked outside and were immediately soaked through. Laughing, Rath dashed around the small shops out onto the field, he scorned the muddy gravel paths. Sliding on the grass he twisted around to watch Aura slip across the wet surface.

It took the pair awhile to reach the dormitories on the other side of school, once they reached the girls dorm, Rath walked Aura to the entrance, once they were under cover of the roof Rath shook his hair wildly.

After leaving Aura at the door he turned to walk over to the boy's dorm across the field, when he felt her grab his jacket sleeve to stop him from leaving. Once again, he turned back to tell her to let go, but the words died on the tip of his tongue. Aura was shaking, she was pale, and her body was ice-cold. There was a feverish light in her eyes as she stared out across the field.

A lightning bolt flickered across the sky, lighting the pitch black night for an instant, so that Rath could see the boy's dormitory through the pounding rain. Rath shivered suddenly cold. Quickly he pried Aura’s fingers from his jacket as she talked to him, he listened with half an ear.

"...I've got a really bad feeling about this big brother, you should be careful when you go back to your room." She trailed off as he mussed up her hair.

"Relax Aura." He told her. "You're just nervous ‘cause I fell down the stairs their. Don't worry, I'm not that stupid to fall down a second time, and besides my room is only on the second floor."

She still looked sceptical but it seemed that Rath had reassured her enough to let him go. Grinning he waved at her before dashing out from under cover. Quickly he ran across the field.

As Rath jogged across the fields the storm suddenly came to a halt and the clouds parted to reveal a half-moon and a star spangled sky. Rath stopped for a moment turning in circles to stare at the endless sky. A last few drops of rain fell from the sky to land on his upturned face.

Rath laughed his head tilted towards the sky revelling in the moment of peace, he had had few enough of those in his life. He fell back on the grass, for awhile just lying there staring at the sky.

Eventually though he got up, and headed once more towards the dorm. As he approached the building his steps grew heavy, and a forbidding air seemed to cling to the building he had lived in for the past nine months. Reluctantly Rath ducked into the alcove just in front of the entrance.

Rath rubbed his arms, shivering in the damp mist that the rain had stirred. He glanced out into the night sky and jumped as he heard that same buzzing he had heard on the roof. Yet it seemed as if he could distinguish voices in the sound now, but it was still difficult to hear, the words that were broken. Ancient...Chosen...Fire...Fate.

Water sprayed everywhere as Rath shook his head to get the buzzing out of his ears. Pushing the door open he stepped into the lobby. The lights in the foyer were off but the hall lights gave off enough light to see by.

He walked along the path to the stairs when a flicker out of the corner of his eye caught Rath's attention. Glancing to the left, Rath froze as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.

He would have called it a trick of the light, if the image in the mirrored surface wasn't so clear. It was definitely Rath's reflection but it was different. The image was of what he might look like three or four years from now. In the image Rath had grown to his full height of six-foot-three, his shoulders, were broad, and his figure lean and musceled. He was dressed in silver and leather armour with strange glowing symbols scrawled along it. A dark red cloak was slung over his back, and the lower half of his face was covered. A pair of katana swords hung from his belt along with two long daggers.

In the background Rath could see a city that seemed built of crystal, it shone so brightly, all towers and spires and shining castles. The place was surrounded by thick lush woods. It seemed like a place out of legend.

Then Rath blinked and his reflection was once more just a tall red-haired boy with slanted, strange coloured eyes and pointed ears. But the image stayed in his mind, and for a time Rath stared at the mirror mesmerized by the picture. At the same time Rath was angry, he had thought the visions had gone away, since he had not seen them in years. Pictures of another world, glimpsed through a candle flame, seen in the waters depths, voices and sounds heard on the wind.

He had thought the images over and done, along with his childhood dreams. Obviously they had come back, along with the return of his moodiness. Rath stepped forward and pressed his hand against the mirror, as if only a thin pane of glass, seperated him from that other world.

Suddenly a voice broke through his musings, ringing in his head like a bell. "Look out, you suicidal IDIOT, duck already!"

With a jerk Rath turned around just in time to see the dagger come hurling out at him from the shadows.