Fenrir: Dawn Rising (Part 1)

"He was a feared criminal leader, then one day he just disappeared. What happened. According to my baby brother he-"

Adam cut in and held out a paw, "Wait, baby brother?"

"SHUT UP ADAM!" Alice shouted, "Anyway, he was apparently at this castle. What happened?"


Jackal looked over to Aetsia and chuckled, "B-bet I look pretty helpless like this, don't I." He couldn't deny it, if Neku was aiming for Aetsia instead, Jackal would still be injured because he'd have took the attack for her.

"A lot of things happened." Ris replied dryly. "Too many things to say in one sitting. Maybe if you're nice I can give a bit at a time while we travel...but don't think about getting rough with me." His blue eyes flashed briefly as he spoke, his tail idly flicking to the side. "It wouldn't work out too well for you."

Aetsia nodded, patting Jackal on the back. He'd be able to survive this, right? She looked closer at his wounds, still unsure of what to do. She just sat there beside him, smiling weakly at him. For him? She wasn't even sure if he was in critical condition or not.

Leo nodded in agreement. "Yeah. As long as I'm here backing Ris up, getting violent's only gonna lead to you getting beat. Understood, Ms. Temperamental?"

Alice threw her arms up and sighed, "You people are useless to me!"


Jackal looked at Aetsia and could see the concern in her eyes, "I'll live. Just lost a bit of blood, that's all. Sure I've lost the feeling in my arms, but I'll live."

"And you me." he replied to Alice, reaching back and giving the tails of his headband a quick tug. Turning his head to Leo, Ris offered a quick smile and nodded his silent thanks--He hadn't realized Leo cared that much for him.

"Well, if Gramps disappeared, we better go after him...Can't let him take all of Fenrir's prunes."

Leo nodded. "Yeah. Don't want the guy to get fussy and angry just because an old man stole all of his old man food." she replied. "Hey, squirrely! You comin'? I'm sure Jackal will be fine."

Aetsia looked indecisive, but she nodded a little. She looked to Jackal, wondering if he had the strength to come along or not.

Jackal began trying to stand, he grunted as he managed to lift himself onto his feet. "I hate feeling weak like this."

Adam ran over to Ris and nervously chuckled, "You know... uhhh... sorry about the way Alice is acting... she's supposedly 'Dad's number one fan'."

"Well, that explains a lot." Leo replied to Adam, looking back to Alice. "So long as she doesn't snap and try to kill us, though, I think we'll get along just fine."

Aetsia nodded, wrapping her arm around Jackal, intending to support him. How cuuuuuute.

Ris offered a smile, giving Adam a quick pat on the arm. "No problem...She's annoying, but nothing I haven't seen before, right?" He gave a quiet chuckle, quickly thinking back on his life.

Yes, -quickly- thinking back. Not enough time for a flashback.

Looking to Jackal, the vulpine asked, "You fit to keep going or we need to wait longer? And don't lie."

Jackal started blushing when Aetsia's arm went around him. Though Ris' words kept his mind from trailing, "Huh? Oh... uhhh... I'll probably need a bit of support, but I'm okay to continue. Maybe there's something in the castle that can heal wounds. You ever played an RPG? They're EVERYWHERE in places like this."

"Hey, he's right." Leo said. "If we find a pizza, eat it, it'll probably heal you just as well!" she said teasingly.

Aetsia noticed that, down the hallway Grandpa went, was a discarded bathrobe. That belonged to Grandpa.

"So...Wait..." Ris began, a little puzzled, "We're not actually gonna be looking out for pizza or...any other food, right?"

Jackal thought about this for a moment, "...well I AM kinda hungry."

Kaede grimaced at the thought, "Pizza? In a place like this? You know how long this place has been standing and you think pizza would still be edible here!?"

"It was just a joke." Leo replied to Kaede. "... but it's certainly possible."

Aetsia pointed down the hallway, starting to walk down to the bathrobe with Jackal at her side. She picked the bathrobe up with her foot. No bloodstains on it or anything...

She heard a loud thud of something hitting the ground up ahead in another room...

His ears perking up at the sound, Ris turned his attention down the hallway towards Aetsia and Jackal. "Frick. Naked squirrel."

And no, not the young one. That would have brought up a different reaction.

Making his way to Aetsia's side, he gave her a light nod before looking back to the others. "Everyone coming?"

After planting a few gentle kisses on Fenrir's neck, Terra softly said, "So... What's the plan now? The blood rain again?"

Jackal nodded, "Don't want to miss out on the fun."

Adam and Alice pulled out their blasters and they were prepared for whatever may be ahead, even if they weren't physically strong enough to handle it.


Fenrir shook his head, "The blood rain failed last time. All it served to do was hasten our resurrection. Do you have anything in particular you would like to do?"

Aetsia started to lead them to the room she heard the noise coming from.

This room was a rather small-ish library, filled with books. In the middle of the room stood Grandpa, holding some sort of amulet-looking device over his head, a red liquid dripping from it...

"What is he doing?" Leo asked.

"Wait, no plans for resurrecting any brothers?... World domination or Ragnarok... nothing? Terra asked in disbelief. "Not even good old fashioned revenge?"

Jackal looked at the dripping device, concerned, "Is it just me or does that look like blood?"

Fenrir shook his head, "Dangan doesn't appear to be anywhere within the castle. So the only revenge could only come from destroying those that entered last time. But... I feel that we won't need to do much as the Destroyer, as he calls himself, wishes to do that himself."

"There's nothing you want to do, so I get you all to myself?" Terra said, in an almost hopeful voice.

"You would be half-right." Grandpa said as the blood dripped onto him.

"This is a sample of the blood rain that cursed many of the foolish adventurers that came here before. But it is not a curse. It is a blessing of immortality!"

He let out a pained groan, doubling over. His gray hair seemed to be turning black, his entire body shifting, undoing all of the damage aging had done to him.

Soon, a black haired, handsome-looking squirrel was standing there in Grandpa's place, eyes red, fangs poking out from under his lips. "This is truly a better form to serve the Master and Mistress of this castle. Aetsia, dear, would you please join me in my immortality? Look at what it has done for me! Imagine what it will do for you! You may finally have a voice, a beautiful voice to praise Master Fenrir and Mistress Terra with!"

Aetsia stepped back slowly, hand in her katana. She wanted to fight him and say no, but... he was her GRANDFATHER, damn it!

Leo sighed. "Sorry, kid. Looks like your Grandpa's lost it."

"Do not call me that. Call me Nikolas." the new vampire said.

Jackal stepped forward and regardless of how exhausted he was, he held out a paw and began generating a ball of pink energy.

"I don't care if Aetsia doesn't have a voice. I like her the way she is. Without the darkness, the blood and the whole service thing, mate. Ever heard the saying, 'actions speak louder than words'?"


Fenrir smiled at Terra, "Indeed. Unless of course, there is something you wish to do."


Deg's ears perked up, "Well, looks like Jackal isn't down yet... stubborn guy always was Master's favorite..."

Not much of a power... Deg rolled his eyes at Solus' comment, "He was injured, Solus, give it a rest, will you? Anyway, let's go see what play our actors will be performing for us, shall we?"

The blue jackal got out of the chair and grabbed the two swords that were laying by the wall, before heading down the hall.

"Alright, Jackal, now you're just showing off." Ris remarked, stepping in front of his teammate and friend. Throwing his arms out to his sides in an awesome flourish, two silvery-blue orbs began forming over the palms of his hands. "Look, Gramps, I get that you're crazy and all, but don't try to convert my friends, a'ight? Now go--I don't wanna hurt you."

The orbs may have said otherwise, but he was simply being prepared.

Nikolas grinned a little. "Don't want to hurt me? Hah. I would love to hurt you... but what's this?" he asked, looking at the orbs in Ris' hands.

Suddenly, Aetsia sprang forward and slashed with her katana, tears running down her cheeks. Nikolas dodged every slash that came after before bringing his fist into her stomach, sending her sailing through the air and against a wall.

"Even my own granddaughter wishes to defy me? Hmph. A pity that I may have to nearly kill you before your ascension..."

Books started to float around the new vampire, a wicked grin on his face as he began to float. "And what did I say about calling me Gramps? Foolish fox..."

Aetsia had managed to get up on her hands and knees, trying to get the strength to get back up. He really knocked the wind out of her!