The twigs crunched beneath his boots as he ventured briskly into the forest. His steps were calculated still, despite his urgent need to reach his destination. Blood pounded in his ears, rushing in his veins alongside his rushed strides. He knew something very wrong was going on, and his concern couldn�t be dammed by his inhuman patience right now. Years of training had taught him to trust his instincts.
Taking a swift turn to his left, he almost broke into a sprint, feeling he was going too slow.
(I can�t be late!)Those words had been a silent mantra in his mind, chanting endlessly, fueling his impatience. His heart grew heavier with every step he took, leaden by worry. Despite his toil, he didn�t break into sweat at all, the leather trench coat he wore flapped wildly behind him, the heavy material occasionally slapped against his calf.
�No!�
His blood ran cold as he halted abruptly, dashing towards the direction of the sound. His worry proved to be sensible, seeing several commoners; two vulgar men and a snotty woman in very skimpy attire much to his distaste, standing in a rather large clearing of the forest. A truck was settled nearby, equipped with a large, titanium cage. (Hunters?) He had countered too much of them in his life. Their targets now were neither animals nor monsters, however�
�No!!� The shriek doubled its force and once again, his glowing eyes were directed to the source.
It was of a young boy, no, he could barely been called as one. His body was small like a three year old but anyone could see the strong muscles that began to develop in him. His voice, although shrill and sounded frail from such young age, held the power that even a grown man couldn�t obtain after years of practice. With his striking features of short, silver hair, half-covering his young face and piercing jade eyes which could glare daggers into someone�s head, the small child held his ground, defiant to the three stranger�s will.
He could clearly hear the woman spoke, her voice shrill and unpleasant to the ears, �C�mon, lil� boy. Mama will give you something if you follow us.� Her words practically sang with deceit. With that said, she smirked towards grinning man behind her as if it was all a sick joke, before turning her head to face the child again, her eyes showing something he didn�t not like one bit.
Masamune leisurely slid out from its scabbard, eager to quench its thirst for blood as his jade eyes glowered, picking his first, unfortunate target.
*********
�I won�t follow you!! I don�t need anything from you, just let my brothers go!!!� The small child was brave, his young face scrunching into a scowl. He may look young, but he�s not stupid. His eyes were currently trained on the other two children in the men�s grip.
Both of them held the same, striking features as the young one; one had slightly longer hair while the other had his cut short to his skull. The longer-haired one was slightly older than the young one by probably three or four years, struggling wildly against the man who captured him, yelling and kicking at the brute. �Let me go, you bastards!! Loz! Loz, wake up!! Loz!!!� he screamed towards the limp body held by the other man on his side.
Loz remained limp, standing upright just because the other bastard was holding him. Being the eldest of the three, he had tried defending them from the three strangers, yet he paid the price. He was still too young, only a few years older than the second child and greatly inexperienced in combat therefore one of the men had easily tripped him over a rock and beat him unconscious after that.
As the result, there were several bruises on his body yet they�re not as severe as the one on his face. A rather large, black bruise marred his right cheek, a streak of crimson dripping from the other side of his face.
Angry and frightened at the same time, the longer-haired boy turned to look at his little brother, putting the young one�s safety ahead of his own. �Kadaj, run! Run now!!�
The child called Kadaj had his eyes wide as saucers, not truly believing what his brother just commanded him to do. �B-but�Yazoo!� He protested, confused, first time his voice sounded fragile and unsure. He didn�t want to abandon his siblings, yet he didn�t want to stay around to know the strangers� intentions.
Yazoo shook his head rapidly, strands of silver flew on his head, �Just go! We�ll find our way to escape! GO!!!� His voice harsh and urgent, filled with panic as he saw the woman walked towards his younger brother.
�Escape? Forget it, kid. You can�t escape�ever. By the way, I think you�ll be fit for our purpose too. Of course, you�ll need to grow up a little more before you can start working for us�,� the woman cackled as she neared the small boy. Kadaj looked up to study her face, trying to figure out what she meant while keeping in mind to back up with every step she took, maintaining their distance in a mere two feet. He didn�t want to be too far from his brothers, his young mind calculating a way to save them and escape.
Unexpectedly, the woman lunged at the boy and he reacted a little too late, feeling his dull blue shirt being yanked forward, and in just moments, his wrists were in her grasp. �Let me go!!� he screamed, trashing his body as his feet left the ground when the woman lifted him up by his wrists.
�Kadaj!!� Yazoo was yanked backwards brutally before he could help his brother. �Just worry about yourself, brat. Your turn will come�� The man restraining him chuckled, amused of such vain attempt. He wrapped a hand around the young boy, stilling his movements as Yazoo growled and yelled obscenities with vocabularies that didn�t belong to a boy of his age.
�Get your fucking filthy hands off me, you fucking son of a bitch!!! Don�t ever touch me!! Do yourself a favour and shove it up your stinking ass!!!� He was beyond caring about the ears who might listen to it now. He was pissed, they had no right to treat Kadaj like that. His protectiveness over the smaller child was outstanding and he couldn�t help but to feel the dread grew in his chest seeing his little brother screaming in the woman�s grasp.
The woman snarled, clearly displeased by Kadaj�s wild movements. �Shut the fuck up and be still, kid! Or I�ll throw you to the ground, just like what we did to your stupid brother!�
�Loz isn�t stupid! You are, witch!!� he argued boldly, spitting the words like acid, kicking his short legs in the air. By chance, his foot connected to the woman�s stomach and she hissed before she mercilessly slammed the little body to the ground.
Kadaj yelped in shock and pain when his body connected hard to the solid ground, a sickening crunch emitted from the back of his head where it connected to a rock embedded into the earth. A small, distant whimper escaped his lips, his eyes glassy from the pain. The woman just snarled, �Didn�t your mother tell you to watch your tongue, brat!? No matter, I�ll teach you a lesson!�
Yazoo was near hysterical seeing how cruelly they treated his younger brother, screaming and yelling for them to stop.
�I guess there�s no point in taking a brat home with us. Let me see if you have any worth at all.�
Kadaj could vaguely decipher her words when she produced a large blade from her belt. His small hands were smacked away and his shirt was yanked forward again, only this time he could hear the tearing sound when she sliced through the thin fabric. He suddenly felt the chilly air teased his exposed skin and tried to curl up in reflex. The woman stopped him from turning to his side, placing her palm flat against his torso to push him to his back. Her hand felt even colder.
The woman smirked, feeling how his muscles clenched under her touch. She leaned forward, studying the dazed cat-like eyes while she whispered to his ear, �I guess you�re old enough to be fucked after all.�
Kadaj said nothing except groaning weakly, kicking his feet feebly in the attempt to push her away as she let her hands caress his young torso. He felt the fear now, his mind slowly registering what she was doing to him. Her fingers slipped under the band of his grey pants, tugging the dusty cloth downwards.
�No�no!� His hands shot up to react, gripping his pants tight, desperately trying to keep it into place. The woman snorted irately, trying to pull his pants down yet the boy held on tight, tiny knuckles white as he fought for his innocence.
Frustrated, the woman released her hold and Kadaj was relieved for a while before a harsh slap connected to his left cheek, throwing his head to the other side. A tear escaped the boy�s closed eyes as he began to sob. With his grip faltered, the woman resumed her intentions, pulling his pants all the way down to his ankles, exposing the clean, white boxers he wore.
Although his brother didn�t voice it, Yazoo could feel the dread swelling inside Kadaj�s chest. His heart bled seeing the tear slid down his cheek, Kadaj never cried if he wasn�t truly afraid.
�Stop it! Stop it, you bitch!! Take me! Leave him alone, take me!! Kadaj! Kadaj, get up! Bitch, let him go!! Take me instead, don�t hurt him!!! Kadaj!!!� he kept screaming until his throat felt raw. His eyes burnt with tears when all he could do was watch, Kadaj�s eyes trained at him blankly in a silent plea. The sorrow and fear in those eyes alone shattered his heart. He already felt he failed as a brother.
�STOP IT!!!� he almost begged, unable to watch the pain in Kadaj�s glassy eyes. Tears burst freely from his own green orbs, feeling guilty at his helplessness. If Loz was awake, they could try to do something. Maybe not much but if it meant to be able to save Kadaj, he was willing to take that slim chance.
His screams was ignored though, as the woman continued from where she left. She yanked the grey pants completely off the small legs and threw it carelessly beside her. Now the small boy was lying on the ground, his shirt shredded open and his hairless feet rested limply on the dirt.
Kadaj trembled slightly, disgusted at how her fingers slid on his bare flesh. For once, he wished he was somewhere else but here, safe with Yazoo and Loz as they had always been, in the comfort of their small cottage up the hill. Why did they leave the sanctuary?
It had been his idea that they went out for a stroll, even after their eldest brother had strictly instructed not to. (Brother�) Only then he remembered about him, the image of the stern man played in his mind. He wondered what the young general would say at his disobedience. He deserved this punishment. He could hear Yazoo crying, his words no longer clear to his ears.
(Yazoo�Loz�)
He tried to open his mouth, yet no sound came out. A faint gurgle was all that left his lips, the world was spinning in his head. His eyelids fluttered close, his body sagging from not being able to handle the torture.
(Brother�)
*********
Yazoo was aghast, letting his tears flow as he tried to block the two men�s hoots and cheers for the woman to continue from his sensitive ears. He couldn�t tear his eyes from the scene though, feeling frantic when he saw Kadaj�s eyes slowly closed. Was he hurt? Was he in pain?
The long-haired child struggled violently against his restraints yet to no avail, horror filled him when the woman was about to dispose of the only material covering his brother. Yazoo feared the thoughts of what they might do to him once the covering was gone. He prayed nothing would befall the small child, yet his prayers seemed wasted. God couldn�t have existed n this world if they�re allowed to be treated like this.
(Someone! �Someone�God, please save Kadaj! Please!!)
A sudden sound of metal cutting through flesh and bones rang from not far beside him. He blanched, not daring to turn his head to look at first, fearing it was Loz. But after the man who held him cried the familiar name, he turned, eyes wide and teary.
�Sephiroth!!!�
The said man lifted his face slightly, his right arm cradling the unconscious Loz against his waist, a thin layer of red covering Masamune�s long, shining blade. His eyes burnt with anger, glaring murderously at the man who held Yazoo captive.
�Let him go.�
It was a simple command, even a three year old understood it yet the man was too shocked to react and heed him, seeing his friend�s lifeless body lay still on the muddy ground, head severed from its neck. Blood poured out of the gaping wounds like crimson river, mingling with the dull colour of the soil as it slowly seeped into the earth, the body starting to lose its warmth..
He had no patience left, unfortunately for the thug, as it was already spent when he watched how mercilessly they treated the children. As if the children weren�t humans, not deserving any humanity. No, they were the ones who were not human. Even he, a cold-blooded killer, respected life. He would never harm the innocents, moreover the ones who posed no threat to him.
But these people deserve no such mercy, only their deaths could calm his boiling blood. �Let him go,� his voice was cold and piercing, punctuating every word with a frighteningly bitter tone while his glowing jade eyes regarded the stunned man dangerously. He would allow Yazoo to get out of the range before he eviscerated the worthless scum.
The man released the boy in fear, more concerned of his own well-being than the task at hand. Foolishly, he tried to flee the scene, turning his body around and began to run.
Not feeling generous, Sephiroth secured his hold around the unconscious boy in his arm before he summoned a surge of Bolt3 from the heavens, rightfully hitting the escaping figure. The strong electricity fried his flesh in the matter of seconds, making his blood boil and popped out of his veins, the dark red fluid oozing out from the cracks of his torn flesh. The thug fell with an agonizing death cry, gurgling with blood flooding his mouth, twitching for some time before death fully claimed his pitiful soul.
With two of them terminated, the angry general slowly turned to face the remaining offender. If his glare could kill, the woman would have a large hole in her head. He let his gaze fell on the small figure sprawled on the ground, anger flaring fiercely in the Mako eyes seeing her hands still attached to the boy�s naked feet.
The woman shrieked in terror when the silver-haired general�s eyes aimed at her, hastily releasing her hold on the unconscious boy to scramble away from the approaching man.
�Please don�t kill me!� she begged with her shrill voice shamelessly, shivering in fear at the towering swordsman�s powerful presence.
Sephiroth�s face twisted in antipathy, his shimmering, platinum hair glowed in the dim light, few light strands cascaded into his face to grant him a colder demeanour.
You to
�Are you begging for your life, worthless bitch? Pathetic, what did you do when they begged for you to stop? Did you even care to listen at all?� he spat back at her. �How could you even think of treating an innocent child with such cruelty!?� The woman was already weeping at his feet, begging for his forgiveness.
�You are a scum, a parasite, a taint within mankind. Your disposal would mean a great relief for the society.�
The woman gaped in shock at how harsh his tone sounded, it was like a death sentence being wrung around her neck, ready to strangle her at any moment. She tried again, to plea for her life, promising never to bother them anymore yet there was no room for forgiveness in Sephiroth�s furious mind. He raised Masamune slowly, seeing the fear built within her teary orbs, wanting to make her feel the dread like the children suffered before.
She scrambled to her feet, almost tripping in her attempt to run away. The silver-haired swordsman easily swung the long weapon with a quick flick of his wrist, cleanly cutting her body into two.
*********
Sephiroth was beyond caring when her body fell with a wet thud on the ground, his attention quickly shifted towards Kadaj. He found that Yazoo was already way ahead of him. The long-haired youth sat on the ground with his feet tucked underneath him, cradling the small boy in his lap, his slender arms wrapped around the small frame, trying as best as he could to cover the unconscious boy with his own body.
He walked towards the two silently, sheathing his sword so he could handle Loz with both hands. Meaning so, he carefully settled the short-haired boy beside the other two, facing Yazoo as the young boy looked up to him with tear-stricken face.
�Seph��
The general gently placed a finger on the boy�s soft lips, shaking his head slowly to silence him. The boy complied, trying his best to swallow the reminder of his hiccups. He rubbed his eyes with the end of his white sleeve, now soiled with dirt and mud, clearing his eyes from the remnants of salty tears. They�re all safe now, Sephiroth came just in time and saved them, before anything could happen. He would never live up the guilt if something did happen to Kadaj. The small boy was his and Loz�s responsibility, failing to even complete such a simple task was as an unforgivable failure as any other.
Yazoo rocked his body back and forth, trying to conceal his own precariousness while stroking his palm over the bare legs, as if trying to erase the dirty traces of the woman�s earlier touch. Kadaj was still unconscious, his body slacked and heavy in his arms. �Kadaj�Kadaj �,� the young boy�s name became a silent mantra as he chanted it near his ear, whispering softly, shakily.
Yazoo watched mutely as Sephiroth busied himself by healing Loz. The older man ran his hand cautiously over the bruised body, careful not to damage anything than it already had. He lifted the grey shirt slowly, frowning at the sight of dark bruises streaking on the pale flesh. The young man gently turned Loz�s head to one side, inspecting the gash on his temple.
It had stopped bleeding, but the blood was still angry red. The boy had the ability to heal faster than any normal human much like him, and he was grateful. The wound could prove to be fatal to a mere mortal child.
Sephiroth concentrated his energy to call the power of the curative materia on his sword, brushing a simple Cure1 over the injuries, leaving none unattended. Loz was still out of light somehow, and he wished for it to remain unchanged. He didn�t want the child to wake up into nightmare, it�s best that he brought them into a safer area before they regain consciousness.
The young general look up slowly, meeting Yazoo�s innocent gaze. The child had suffered immensely from his state of full awareness. He eventually let his gaze fell on the youngest version of him.
Although he could see no trace of severe wound on the boy, he could somehow sense the trauma scarring his young mind. Mindfully settling Loz on his lap, Sephiroth crouched nearer towards the two. Yazoo seemed to almost offer Kadaj to him, silently urging him to conduct the same healing spell on the younger child.
He did, and he cast the same spell over the long-haired boy, just to be safe. He watched as Yazoo closed his eyes, hugging Kadaj�s limp body closer to his chest as the swirls of greenish light enveloped their bodies. The boy opened his eyes slowly, looking down at his brother, a little disappointed to see they remained closed.
�Yazoo.�
He slightly jumped at the adult tone, looking up at their eldest brother anxiously. He wondered if the man was angry. He should be, they screwed up�big time. They deliberately disobeyed him, and Yazoo was ashamed that he could be so immature.
�Y-yes?� he squeaked timidly, fear visible in his wide orbs. He had no idea how adorable he looked right now, different from his usual mature behavior. He looked as child-like as any boy his age.
Sephiroth was used to read people�s expressions, being his career trained him to. He recognized the alarm within those young, bright eyes and softened his own expression; the boy had gone through enough. The silver-haired swordsman allowed himself a small smile, compassionate in its own way, �Can you walk?� He saw the boy relaxed slightly, bobbing his head in affirmation.
Nodding to himself, Sephiroth collected Loz in his arms and was about to take Kadaj too but Yazoo hugged the boy tighter.
�Let me carry him,� he softly murmured, politely looking up at the tall man as if asking for permission.
Sephiroth nodded gently, not finding it was wrong for the boy to. He had been the one who taught them to care for one another, and he was fairly pleased of the effect. As much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn�t always be around for them. He had a feeling he wouldn�t.
Brushing the unimportant thought away, he stood, �Let�s go home.�
*********
~ Divine Star ~