I'm Always With You, Dante

by BlackKat2907

Summary:

"I'm always with you, Dante. If you're scared, call me, and I'll fight the evil monsters."

Having died to Shad, Gene wakes up a years in the past with a mission to keep Dante safe. Unfortunately, Gene finds himself accidentally helping a lot of people out along the way. And why won't this damned cat leave him alone?

Notes:

• For Somnas_Helix.

Chapter 1: Waking Up

Gene wasn’t sure if he was supposed to wake up. But he did…in the middle of a library? He sat up, groaning as he stretched his sore limbs. His armor was gone and he was left in a black shirt and gray pants. His wounds were completely gone and Gene could see again. The center was an open circular space with four colors that met a trophy in the middle. The color of red, blue, green, and yellow had separated the library into four sections, books upon books upon books in each section. 

 

In the main hallway at the end of the hall was a comfortable couch with pictures on the wall behind the couch, a trophy above the couch. In front of the couch was a holographic screen. A man with a goofy smile, brown hair, and deep brown eyes sat on the couch. He wore a red leather jacket, a black shirt, black jeans, and brown boots. Next to the man was a woman with brown hair and eyes. She wore a white shirt, a black sweater, jeans, and boots. 

 

“Oh, you’re awake!” the man grinned at Gene. “Come here, friend. You must have a lot of questions.” The man gestured for Gene to approach the couch. Gene stood up with shaky legs and approached the couch hesitantly. Who were these people? Gene really wished he had his sword on him. He didn’t like feeling vulnerable and unprepared. 

 

“Who are you? Where am I?” Gene narrowed his eyes, staying out of arm's reach from other of them. Neither of them look at him with disdain or hatred. Maybe they were lucky enough to not know of the Nether and the Shadow Knights? Shadow Knights! “Dante!” Gene’s eyes widened and he looked around. “My brother! I have…I have to help him! He asked…I need to go…Dante!” he shouted, frantically looking around, unsure of which direction to start looking in. 

 

“Hey, hey, Gene,” the woman stood up from the couch and approached him. “Calm down. Dante is okay.” She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Dante is okay. Breathe with me.” Gene looked at her, trying to copy her calm deep breaths. “There we go. You’re in a safe place. You lost against Shad.” 

 

Memories came flooding back and Gene growled. “I should’ve fought harder,” he grumbled. 

 

“Don’t think like that. You protected him,” the woman smiled softly. “Take a seat and we’ll explain everything.” She let Gene to the couch and let him sit in the middle. “My name is Estefani, and this is my husband Mattias.” 

 

Mattias grinned and gave a two finger salute. “And this library is our home. It’s like the Irene Dimension or the Nether. A place outside of space and time. And you, my friend, have a choice to make.” He put a hand on Gene’s shoulder, squeezing gently. 

 

“I don’t understand. Who are you?” Gene blinked in surprise. 

 

“Oh, right. We’re Divine. I’m Mattias, the Divine of Knowledge. Estefani is the Divine of Protection,” Mattias grinned, patting Gene’s shoulder. 

 

“I thought that Enki was the Divine Warrior of Knowledge and Esmund was the Divine Warrior of Protection?” Gene tilted his head. “That’s what all the history books say.” That’s what Shad had told him. 

 

Estefani rolled her eyes. “Historians simply like to refute that I’m a woman. Esmund was just deified by the people around him. Same with Enki. Most of the Divine Warriors were humans who were deified,” she explained calmly. However, her eyes held muted anger. 

 

“What does any of this have to do with me?” Gene asked, frustrated. He was a Shadow Knight who betrayed the Shadow Lord and paid the price for it. Irene, why did he even do it in the first place? He clenched his fists. “I don’t understand.” 

 

“You protected your brother,” Estefani commended. “I want to give you a second chance with Dante. We can give that to you, only if you are willing to give up your magicks in return.” She sat next to Gene. “If not, then you’ll die and it’s over.” 

 

Was it worth it? Losing his magicks, a part of himself, to be with Dante again? Gene swallowed thickly. Dante was worth it. He was his little brother. Gene could lose his magicks for Dante. Dear Irene, when did Gene suddenly gain this conscience and conviction? “I…It’s worth it. I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Killed a lot of people. And I don’t really regret any of that at all. I’d still do it all the same. But, Dante is different. I used to despise him,” he wetly laughed, shaking his head. “But, hearing him call out for help from me no less—the one person who hurt him more than anyone else. He asked me for help. How could I ignore that?” 

 

“That, my friend, is why we’ve decided to give you a second chance,” Mattias laughed, smiling brightly, albeit a little goofy. “It’s going to be hard, but you can overcome and get your brother back. All you need to do is trust us.” 

 

Gene warily glanced at Mattias. Estefani noticed and laughed. “Don’t worry about him. He’s just enthusiastic. We won’t send you completely defenseless.” She manifested a crimson blade. “It’s enchanted with my blessing. This blade will never fail you.” Gene took the blade and it felt perfectly balanced in his hand. He smiled softly.

 

“Thank you,” Gene nodded. 

 

“And my gifts to you!” Mattias beamed brightly, dropping two books in Gene’s lap. “The first book is a journal that connects here to the library and by definition, us! The second book is simply blank. Ask it questions and it will give an answer.” 

 

“From the both of us, we’ll give you a backpack with necessary survival supplies,” Estefani finished explaining. 

 

“I…thank you,” Gene replied, swallowing back his confusion. “What happens now?” he wondered out loud. 

 

“You wake up,” Mattias smirked, snapping his fingers. 

 

“Wha—” A bright light engulfed Gene and he jolted up, coughing violently. The library was gone, replaced by soft grass and a cool breeze. His heart sank as he took in the ruins of a village. “Did it have to be here?” he grumbled. Flashes of fire and smoke filled his memory. Screams of the villagers echoed in his mind. Dante’s wails being the loudest. 

 

“Did it have to be Boboros?” Gene whispered, guilt pooling in his gut. 

Chapter 2: Home?

The village of Borboros was nothing more but a pile of ruins. The last time Gene had been there was when he had first become a Shadow Knight and well…he attacked the village. However, he had been sure he left survivors. He didn’t kill his parents, and he left a few others alive, Dante included. Gene sat up and noticed he was now wearing black boots and a jacket. He felt something heavy on his back.

“Ah, right,” Gene sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. The backpack. He set it down and sure enough, the two Divine had kept their word. Inside the backpack were basic tools, potatoes, bread, some oak wood, stone, coal, sticks, and a crafting bench. “Good enough to start.” His crimson blade was sheathed on the belt around his waist.

The former Shadow Knight heavily sighed as he pulled up his hood. Being back in Boboros brought back memories he didn’t want to remember. However, it wouldn’t hurt to scavenge around and see if there was any supplies he could take. Gene approached the village, fighting off a shudder. A sense of dread and unease radiated off the ruins. He scowled and unsheathed his sword.

Unfortunately, Boboros had been stripped clean. Nothing of value was left. Gene groaned and kicked a small stone. “Great, just great,” he grumbled. At least he had gotten more coal from the old mines and more wood from the overgrowth. A snapped twig had Gene unsheathing his blade and spinning around. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the area. “I know you’re there!” he shouted. “Come out and face me. Stop hiding like a coward.”

A cloaked figure lunged from the overgrowth and swords clashed. Gene growled and pushed back, stronger than the smaller, more lithe figure. The figure was faster than Gene, but Gene had more experience. He stumbled back after being kicked. Gene slashed at the figure, cutting their arm and cloak.

The figure ducked down after Gene’s second slash, sweeping their leg under Gene’s to make him fall. Gene fell back and the figure held their dagger to his throat. “Really?” Gene smirked and hooked his leg around the figure’s leg and flipped them over, crimson blade at the figure’s throat.

Gene had the person pinned. He dug his knee into their gut and held their other wrist down. “Who are you?” he demanded, narrowing his eyes. Letting go of their wrist, he pulled down the person’s mask to reveal grey eyes and black hair. The woman glared up at Gene as he pressed his blade against her throat. “I won’t ask again,” Gene growled, the blood lust growing with each moment. He still felt that giddy rush whenever he shed blood. Guess he hasn’t changed that much.

“Oi, get off,” the woman struggled, growling. “You’re the one who entered our territory!” Her piercing gray eyes glared up at him. Gene looked unamused, pressing harder. “Okay! Okay! My name’s Kayla. I work with a small group of travelers. We set up camp a few months ago because no one else was brave enough to stay in this cursed area.”
“Cursed area?” Gene blinked in confusion. “What the hell? This place is called Boboros!” Anger coursed through his veins. Had his village been abandoned? ‘Like you abandoned it?’ Gene snarled and got off Kayla, still keeping his sword pointed at her.

“It may have once been called Boboros, but right now? It’s nothing more than a curse,” Kayla rubbed her neck, scowling at Gene. “I was sent here to do one last look around before we left. There’s nothing left, so therefore, we have to move and find a more substantial place.” She warily glanced at Gene. “Who are you?”

Gene glared at Kayla. “My name is Gene. I…used to live here, but I left,” he murmured, still glaring as he looked around the ruins. “Do you know why this place is deemed cursed?” He had to know if he truly was the catalyst that killed the town. More guilt pooled in his stomach.

“Something about a Shadow Knight,” Gene grit his teeth, “attacking the village years ago. After that, the neighboring towns decided to step away for fear of the Shadow Knight attacking them as well,” Kayla explained softly, dusting herself off. She turned to leave Gene alone and dash back into the woods. “Do…do you have a place to go?” she asked him.

“What?” Gene turned back. “Yeah, I need to go to…wait, you don’t know who I am?” Most people knew Gene was a Shadow Knight. “This might sound crazy, but what year is it?” If Gene’s hunch was correct he was going to kill Mattias. When Kayla gave him the year Gene fought the urge to scream. Why was he fifteenish years in the past? How was he supposed to go to Dante now? Dante…Dante probably still hates Gene.

“You good?” Kayla blinked. “You’re spacing.” She looked up at the sky. “It’s getting dark soon. You don’t want to be out when the monsters start coming out.” She sighed heavily and turned back around. “Do you want to come with me to the campsite?” she asked suddenly, and before Gene could respond, Kayla rambled on, “I know you attacked me and all that, but I technically attacked first. You look like you could hold your own against the monsters, and I don’t know you, but it’s safety in numbers out here and—”

“Alright enough!” Gene snapped to quiet Kayla. “I’ll go with you until I figure out what to do.” Gene didn’t plan on staying around long, but it wouldn’t hurt to take advantage of any opportunities. Besides, Gene was confident he could fight back if needed. He was a Shadow Knight after all. He smirked at Kayla. “Let’s hope you’re making the right decision allowing me in,” he darkly joked.

Kayla rolled her eyes. “Come on, Gene.” She ran into the woods, Gene protesting as he scrambled to catch up with her. His backpack made him a little slower than her. Kayla brought Gene through the woods, stopping at a guarded clearing. There were about three tents inside the clearing, a campfire, and some bags. Crates or barrels would be too heavy to keep on them if they were travelers. Gene counted seven horses, each horse having two saddle bags.

“I’m back and I brought a friend!” Kayla declared. Friend? Gene looked at Kayla in shock and suspicion. He wasn’t her friend, and he was never going to be. He counted six more bandits in the clearing, two women and four men. None of them looked happy to see Gene. Gene did not blame them.

“And who is he?” the lead bandit asked, glaring daggers at Gene. Kayla nervously chuckled and Gene raised an eyebrow.

Chapter 3: Distrust

Turns out the bandits really didn’t trust Gene. Damian was the ringleader and had powerful protection magicks. He could sense something was wrong with Gene, probably the Shadow Knight part of him. However, Kivka, the second in command, decided to give Gene a chance with the group, saying, “One step out of line and we’ll kill you.”

Gene stayed towards the outskirts of the clearing, observing the bandits and how they worked together. Kayla was the youngest of the group. The other bandits were named Leon, Jane, Clyne, and Kaleb. And out of all of them, only Kayla seemed to warm up to Gene. Three days after Gene joined up with the group, they started packing up to move on.

Gene had been stuck doing a lot of the harder jobs, and he was in charge of taking care of the animals, which he didn’t mind much. Though, it was tedious and annoying. He was a former Shadow Knight for Irene’s sake! He could still feel that part of him deep down, but with his magicks gone, he couldn’t tap into his Shadow Knight form. After all, it required Shadow magicks.

“Is it true?” Gene looked to the side to see Leon standing a few feet away. He narrowed his eyes on Gene. “Is it true those ruins were your home?” Gene stopped tying one of the horses to the fence post. His jaw clenched and his eyes darkened.

“A long time ago,” Gene sighed heavily. “But now, it has no worth to me.” He tied the horse to the post and turned to Leon. “The horses are ready to go. I’ve gathered more supplies and put them in the bags.” He watched Leon as he moved to sit on one of the logs. “Why do you ask about those ruins?”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “Because it’s strange. We’ve patrolled this area for weeks and suddenly you manage to show up in the middle of the ruins. How did you get past our traps? Kayla says you even asked her for the year. Who are you, Gene?” His distrustful glare did nothing to phase Gene.

“I told you. I’m just traveling through, looking for someone,” Gene scowled, looking through his bag to make sure he had enough supplies. His eyes widened slightly when he saw a purple amulet at the bottom of the bag. Gene pulled it out and rubbed the dull gem. It hadn’t worked properly since Gene had attacked Boboros all those years ago.

“Are you a spy?” Clyne shouted as he saw the amulet in Gene’s hands. The older bandit aimed his bow at Gene. Leon jumped back, dagger pointed at Gene. Jane gripped her ax, staying a few feet away.

“Calm down,” Damian snapped, coming out from his tent with Rivka behind him. The leader loomed over Gene. “It’s broken. Look, lads, the gem don’t glow. Isn’t that right, boy?” Damian arched an eyebrow.

“Right,” Gene swallowed thickly. “It broke years ago. I…I don’t know why I still have it.” As much as he wanted to get rid of the broken amulet as it had no more use, Gene couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. He had to keep it as a reminder of what he did to his brother and his town.

“Don’t matter,” Damian shrugged, turning to address his group. “He may not be trustworthy, and we may not know him, but we should still show some respect. Kid’s clearly a survivor. Musta been through hell if he came from the Cursed Village.” Damian didn’t know how true that statement was. Gene could still feel the phantom pain in his neck and back from dying the first time and the torture chambers.

“The last time we let someone in we were almost killed!” Leon shouted angrily. “We should make him leave.” He never lowered his dagger. Gene stared at Leon, taking notice of the scar on his cheek and how he favored his left side over his right. All of the bandits had some kind of scars. Like Gene, they must have been survivors. In a twisted way, Gene wondered if he had killed them in the future.

“He could have killed me, but he didn’t?” Kayla hesitantly tried to speak up in defense of Gene. “Plus, he hasn’t attacked us?”

“Yet,” Jane huffed, lowering her ax. “He could be playing the long con. But fine, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now.” She gave Gene a hard stare but moved back to taking down her tent.

Gene turned his head to look at Damian. “You’re right not to trust me,” he said bluntly. “You don’t know me. I could have done monstrous things.” He narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to leave you as soon as I can so I can go on my journey to finding someone important to me.” He wasn’t going to lead these bandits on, thinking he was a good person who valued others. ‘But you value your brother.’

“Then you can leave,” Damian replied just as bluntly. “I personally don’t care what ya do. Stay with us, leave us, do whatever.” His dark eyes grew ice cold. “But hurt my crew and I’ll hunt you down to the ends of the earth.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Gene rolled his eyes. Humans were so sentimental that it was disgusting how much they’d sacrifice for someone else. A sudden thought hit him. Was Gene even human anymore? Becoming a full shadow knight had meant stripping away his humanity. Shad’s corrupting power had taken his humanity away in the most painful way. He shook his head. Enough thinking about that. He had one mission. To find Dante. Scratch that, two missions. Find Dante and find a way to slow Shad down.

The bandits were ready to leave by noon, so Gene put on his backpack and started walking behind them. “Here,” Gene blinked in surprise as Kivka walked over with a white horse. “She’s old, but she’ll help you on your journey.”

“What?” Gene gaped, taking the reins hesitantly.

“This isn’t an act of kindness,” Kivka clarified. “We don’t need the extra horse. She takes up a lot of food and extra work we don’t always have time for.” Kivka clicked and her palomino trotted back toward the front of the group.

What had just happened? Gene frowned, standing still for a moment. Humans confused him. A lot. The horse nickered and bumped Gene’s shoulder. “Fine,” Gene grumbled and mounted the horse. It had been a while since he rode, but he’d figure it out. With a light kick and click of the tongue, the horse started walking.

“Where are you headed?” Gene asked, catching up to the group.

Clyne glared at Gene, annoyed that Gene even spoke up. “North than west. We’re hoping to get to Pikoro Village to do some trading. But with the tension rising, we have to be careful on our way there.”

Gene raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. “What tension?” A lie. Gene knew exactly what was happening. The werewolf tribes were at war and O’kasis was trying to take over. High Priest Zane started making moves, working secretly with the Shadow Lord in attempts to steal the Irene Relic for more power.

“Something with O’kasis. I don’t care,” Clyne scoffed, rolling his eyes. “We never stay in the same place long enough to care about politics.” The brown haired bandit clicked and his horse moved faster, leaving Gene in the back once more.

“There are werewolves in the northeast that really hate humans,” Damian informed Gene, holding back to ride beside the former Shadow Knight. “There have been rumors they capture any human in their territory and eat them. That’s why we’re going west instead of east.”

“I see,” Gene nodded, frowning. “What else have you heard about these wolves?” He vaguely remembered Zane boasting about killing a wolf tribe for failing to bring him Lady Aphmau and her guards, Garroth and Laurance. He mentioned a blue haired guard as well, which sounded an awfully lot like Dante. Back then, Gene didn’t care enough about his brother to be concerned.

“If you’re thinking about going east, be prepared for a fight…and for really cold temperatures,” Damian whistled. He stayed by Gene’s side in silence for a few hours, and Gene stayed silent. “Be careful out there, kid. The world is a cruel place.”

“I know,” Gene sighed heavily. “More than you know, I know.”

Chapter 4: Fears

“Have fun dying,” Leon scoffed when Gene mentioned he was going east to the werewolves. “Maybe you’ll die from the cold before you get eaten,” he drawled, sneering at Gene. 

 

“Aw,” Gene cooed, smirking, “you do care about me.” 

 

“You!” Leon snarled, lunging at Gene only to be held back by Jane.

“Calm down, will ya, Leon? Be glad he’s leaving,” Jane rolled her eyes. Leon huffed and spat at Gene. Gene didn’t miss a beat as the glob of saliva missed his boot. He saddled his horse and mounted. 

 

“Have fun in Pikoro,” Gene chuckled, remembering the harsh curfews and all the guards stationed there because of the attempt to turn the Lords into Shadow Knights. 

 

“Good bye, Gene!” Kayla waved goodbye, smiling brightly. “Hope you find that person you’re looking for!” Gene ignored Kayla and started off east. The pine trees eventually turned to oak trees and the climate grew colder. There wasn’t snow, but Gene knew he’d run into it soon. The sun started to set. 

 

The former Shadow Knight set up camp in a small cave, making a small campfire with twigs and a flint and steel. His horse was tied up outside the cave, and Gene had stolen a sleeping bag from the bandits. He laid on the hard stone, the sleeping bag not offering much cushion or comfort. Though, Gene wasn’t sure he could sleep in a bed anymore. Too much comfort. He closed his eyes to sleep. 

 

“Mrrup?” Gene peaked an eye open. A gray and white cat blinked down at Gene’s head, meowing once more. The cat raised a paw to bap Gene’s head and Gene swatted the cat awake. “The hell? Why is there a cat all the way out here?” he glared at the cat. “Where did you come from?” 

 

The cat innocently tilted its head and blinked at Gene, turning to lick its side. “Shoo,” Gene tried to grab the cat to toss it outside. The cat hissed and scampered back, lashing out with its claws. “Come on, damned cat,” Gene growled. Each attempt to grab the cat led to the cat dodging and Gene getting scratched. 

 

“Argh!” Gene yelled in frustration. The cat settled onto the sleeping bag, purring with satisfaction. “Stupid cat.” Gene gave up trying to move the cat and laid back down on the sleeping bag, and if he woke up with the cat laying on top of him, no he didn’t. The damned cat followed Gene from the cave and through the snow. 

 

Gene did his best to ignore the small four-legged fur ball and continued on to the wolf tribe. The snow crunched beneath his horse’s hooves. Hours later, Gene halted and hopped off his horse. He crouched down to look at the wolf tracks. They were fresh and the cat seemed to be on edge, arching its back and hissing. Somehow that damned cat kept up with Gene. 

 

“Yeah, I know,” Gene sighed before mentally slapping himself for talking to a cat. He growled and mounted his horse again. He’d keep traveling east but head south, around the territory. He wanted to make a sound plan before going to the wolves. He pulled out a map to figure out where he should set up camp. The sun started to set in the sky by the time Gene reached a giant castle. 

 

“A castle?” Gene blinked, looking down at his map to the castle that was not on the map. “How the hell did this get here?” The castle appeared older than the map. Did the mapmaker just…forget to draw a castle? He looked back from the castle to the map. “Doesn’t matter. Looks empty.” The cat meowed loudly, probably in agreement. Gene didn’t speak cat. “Shut up,” he glowered at the cat. 

 

It appeared Gene was behind the castle. He tied his horse in the back courtyard and pushed the door open, holding a torch to light the way. The castle had cobwebs everywhere, and Gene couldn’t help but feel a shiver go up his spine. The cat lowly growled and hissed, sensing something was there. Gene pulled up his black mask and hood, keeping only his dull blue eyes visible. 

 

The former Shadow Knight stalked through the castle, climbing up the library shelves to reach the rafters. It was safer up there and if anyone was inside the castle, Gene had the element of surprise and the high ground. He heard a loud slam of a door and he grabbed his blade. Someone was here. “Damn it,” Gene hissed as he recognized Lady Aphmau’s voice. “Just gre–” 

 

“Dante, are you okay?” Aphmau’s voice echoed out. Gene’s eyes widened. There was no way Dante was here. He swallowed thickly and tried to get closer. “Alright, as a guard, I trust you,” Aphmau nodded to Dante, who was wielding two katanas. Gene watched silently from the rafters as Dante dipped his head and walked up the stairs to search the castle. 

 

Gene stayed in his spot where he could easily look down and watch everything that was going on. Twenty minutes passed and Dante didn’t return. A horrible feeling of unease settled in Gene’s stomach. He had to go check on his brother. “You…stay here,” Gene murmured to the cat who was practically attached to his hip. The cat blinked and, for once, settled into a loafing position. 

 

After ten minutes of searching, Gene heard the horrible, horrible screeching sound and his heart rate skyrocketed. He needed to find Dante now. “Dante!” Aphmau’s voice shouted and Gene could see Aphmau open a set of doors and rush into what looked to be a child’s room toward an unconscious Dante. Red sparks radiated around Dante and Gene grit his teeth. 

 

“...Gene…” Dante murmured and Gene felt the overwhelming urge to go protect Dante when a giant black spectre appeared. The Shadow Knight’s eyes widened as fear gripped him tightly. 

 

“Dante, no!” Gene cried out as Shad killed Dante. He fell to his knees and wailed. Nothing he had tried to change worked. 

 

“This is what happens when you betray me, foolish Knight,” Shad’s voice sounded like nails on a chalk board to Gene. He failed and his brother was dead. 

 

“DANTE!” 

 

Gene gasped and woke up, breathing heavily. “Damn it,” he grunted, scrambling to keep from falling from the rafters. “Where is…” Glass shattered in the distance and Dante and Aphmau were no longer in the child’s room. Gene snuck back to the main entrance and looked down, frowning. Of course Garroth and Laurance were here. His eyes widened when he saw the fading illusion of Aphmau and Dante kissing. 

 

“Gross,” he whispered, shaking his head. “Dante, little brother, you can do so much better than her. She’s out of your league.” Gene rolled his eyes at the whole drama of it all. “Laurance, get a hold of yourself. It’s pathetic to watch you be so…lovey dovey over a woman who doesn’t even love you.” 

 

Even though they couldn’t hear him, Gene kept muttering to himself and the cat. For now, Gene would keep his distance. Dante was safe, but for how long? They had plans to go rescue some man from the wolf tribe, so Gene would follow them. The cat stretched out and walked over to Gene, butting its head against Gene’s arm. 

 

“Brat,” Gene grumbled at the cat who purred in satisfaction when Gene begrudgingly started petting it. 

 

Chapter 5: Hidden Fear

“He can’t leave?” Gene murmured, glancing down at the open doors. Voices echoed in from the courtyard. Apparently Malachi couldn’t leave the castle, his spirit confined to it. That was unfortunate, however, not Gene’s problem. He had bigger things to worry about. He had listened in and gathered enough information to know the eastern wolf village had kidnapped Logan and was holding him hostage. 

 

Again, Gene didn’t personally care. Logan was just some merchant werewolf who happened to be a member of Phoenix Drop. His mind had been easy enough to manipulate in the future. Same with all of the other Phoenix Drop citizens. It was pathetic how easy it was to make Dante be forgotten a second time. Even his own wife had been susceptible. Yet, Dante had fought harder that time around. Gene had to give credit where credit was due. Dante had grown a spine. 

 

His fingers rubbed over the dormant amethyst. Part of him wished he was more Shadow Knight than human at the moment. Human emotions were overly complicated. It was easier when Gene didn’t have to think about emotions and others, just taking and following orders. He pocketed the amulet before the cat could start playing with the chain. 

 

The gray and white cat was sleeping next to Gene, pressed up against his side. It was strange to Gene how a cat could be so clingy. He frowned and pulled out the gifted journal, taking the quill. He had questions he wanted to ask. Taking a deep breath, he put the quill to paper. Yet, when he flipped to the first page there was already a message. 

 

‘You’re welcome. Sometimes all you need is a friend.’

 

‘What are you talking about?’ Gene wrote back, frowning. The cat next to him stirred, purring growing louder. 

 

‘Heard you have a cat now, friend.’ Oh, he did not! Gene almost snapped the quill, and he slammed the journal shut, shoving it back in his bag. “They sent you?” he asked the cat incredulously. “Dammit,” he groaned as the cat blinked up at him innocently. “You’re a pain in my ass, cat.” 

 

“Mrrup,” the cat stretched and sauntered down the rafters, jumping down to the stairs and walking up to the second floor. Probably off to hunt some mice or rats, depending how ambitious the cat felt. Gene scowled and rolled his eyes, looking back down at the small camp the Phoenix Drop group set up in the corner near the stairs. 

 

He could hear laughter coming from outside followed by Laurance jeering about finally getting recognition for being a Jury of Nine candidate. That made a lot of sense to Gene. With how powerful Garroth and Laurance were, how skilled they were, it was only a matter of time before they’d rise the ranks and be the best of the best. 

 

It truly was a shame Laurance never joined the Shadow Knights. Gene shivered as unwanted memories flashed in his brain. Or…maybe Laurance was one of the lucky ones, being able to escape the Shadow Lord’s hold. Gene felt envy growing, and he left to silently sneak up to the second floor and make it to the back entrance. He had a mission to do. His horse was still there with the food Gene had set up. 

 

Gene opened the second gifted book. “What potion ingredients are needed for illusion potions?” The book started to glow and the list of ingredients started appearing. “Alright, I can gather these.” A meow sounded from behind him. “Ugh, cat just…just stay here and catch mice or something like that? Go bother Laurance for all I care.” 

 

The cat hissed and growled, not moving an inch. Gene clenched his fist and groaned. “Damn it,” he huffed, rolling his eyes. “I’ll be back. I don’t need you attached to my side all the time.” The cat mournfully meowed and looked up at Gene with large, pleading eyes. He batted Gene’s pant leg, digging in his claws. 

 

“Ack! Ow, you little bastard!” Gene cursed as the claws dug into his skin. He reached down to grab the cat. With gentleness that surprised even Gene, he sighed. “I’ll be back, okay? Help the ghost kid out or something. I don’t care.” The cat mewed in defeat when Gene set him down. “I’ll be back,” Gene repeated, mounting his horse and riding toward the forest. 

 

The cat growled lowly and stalked back inside the castle. He hissed and spat, sitting at the top of the stairs, staring out at the courtyard where Laurance was with Malachi. His ears flicked, tail lashing in irritation. He settled down, paws tucked beneath his body, glaring at the door, hoping his anger would fade by the time Gene got back. 

 

“What’s wrong, kid?” Laurance Zvhal asked the little spectre. Malachi had been frowning for a long time. “I know Lady Aphmau will fulfill her promise. She’s always doing good for others.” He tried to calm Malachi and comfort the child. Laurance shivered from the cold wind, pulling his jacket tighter. 

 

“There’s a lot of pain and anger,” Malachi whispered, looking back at the castle doors. Laurance followed his gaze. “An angry spirit that is scared to lose someone they love.” Malachi’s frown deepened. “They weren’t here before.” 

 

Laurance gripped his sword tighter, narrowing his eyes. “There’s a second spirit here?” he asked Malachi, glancing down at the ghost child. Malachi’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I…I can’t tell. When is Mom coming back?” the ghost looked up at Laurance. 

 

The heart-broken look on the kid’s face tugged at Laurance’s heartstrings. Clearly Malachi didn’t want to stay in this place anymore. “Lady Aphmau will be back with that monk and you’ll be free from here.” 

 

“Can you tell me about Phoenix Drop?” Malachi asked quietly, still looking out at the vast snowy fields and forest. The spectre sat on the snow, under one of the trees in the courtyard and Laurance sat next to him. Laurance wanted to ruffle the kid’s hair, but he couldn’t as his hand would phase through the child’s head. “I want to know about my new home…” 

 

“Phoenix Drop is a wonderful place with a lot of great people,” Laurance chuckled fondly, gazing out at the courtyard. “Everyone has a big heart, even Logan, despite his gruffness. They all know I used to be a Shadow Knight and they welcomed me with open arms. I’m sure you’ll love it. We’re close to the ocean shore, there’s a lot of trees. It’s definitely warmer there than here.” 

 

“That sounds nice,” Malachi hummed in thought. 

 

“We have an elf named Zoey, and I think you’d like her a lot. She lives with Lady Aphmau and helped to raise Lady Aphmau’s son, Levin,” Laurance chuckled and shook his head fondly. “With Lady Aphmau being your new mom, that makes Levin your brother. Levin’s a good kid, happy and carefree.” His smile faltered. “Hopefully the world won’t take that away from him.” 

 

“You have a lot of pain and fears, too,” Malachi whispered, looking down. “But you’ve overcome. I’m sure Phoenix Drop will overcome everything that comes its way.” 

 

“Why do you say that?” Laurance asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“Because it has you and Garroth protecting it.” Malachi’s words hit Laurance like a punch to the gut. He forced a smile, ignoring the fear rising that he wasn’t strong enough to protect everyone he cared about. “Thanks, Malachi,” he murmured, glancing at the kid. “I try my best.” 

 

“And that’s all anyone can ask,” Malachi chirped in response. 

 

Chapter 6: Failure

By the time Gene came back to the castle, it was dark out. He snuck back in and found that the damned cat was glaring at him from the rafters. Gene climbed up and rolled his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. I came back,” he huffed and mentally slapped himself. Since when did he start talking to the cat? The cat stared long and hard at Gene before approaching and bumping his head against Gene’s hand. 

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Gene scoffed, petting the demanding cat. The cat started purring and Gene looked down at the group. They had started to pack up their supplies, and the spectre was blubbering with gratitude toward Aphmau for freeing him from the castle. Had Gene really been gone that long? No wonder the cat was being so clingy and had been staring daggers at him. 

Gene had gathered all the ingredients and he met a witch in the woods who specialized in making potions. So, naturally, Gene “borrowed” her cauldron to make his potions and left the witch with her life. No one ever said Gene had good morals. Dante was all that mattered. Gene wasn’t a good person, but around Dante, he’d try to do better. Right now, Gene knew that Dante would be with Laurance and Garroth, so he’d be safer for now. 

 

After all, Dante had survived long enough to have a family in Phoenix Drop. Gene picked up the cat and walked back outside. He didn’t need to stick around much longer. Dante was safe, and Gene had plans he needed to enact before he’d go to the outskirts of Phoenix Drop in an attempt to keep the O’kasis and Scaleswind war from breaking out. Because of the war, Zane got to the Irene Dimension, Aaron sacrificed his life to free Garroth from the Irene Dimension, inadvertently giving Shad a formidable body. Gene couldn’t let that happen. 

 

After scavenging what he could from the castle, which wasn’t much, Gene went outside to check on his horse. The cat followed him, purring loudly the closer he got to Gene. Gene fed an apple to his horse, smiling softly as the horse snickered gratefully. One of the apples fell from Gene’s bag and rolled on the ground. Before Gene could pick it up, the cat started batting the apple, rolling it around, and pouncing on it. Sharp, needle-like teeth dug into the flesh of the apple. 

 

“That’s not for you!” Gene exasperated, taking the apple from the cat which earned him a growl and hiss. “It’s an apple! Cats don’t eat apples.” A low growl followed Gene’s reprimand. “For Irene’s sake, it’s an apple!” He ended up tossing the apple back on the ground for the cat to play with. “Apple…” he murmured. No, he shook his head. If he named the cat, he’d be attached. ‘But you already are attached.’ 

 

‘Dammit.’ Gene groaned, losing yet another battle with the cat. “Apple it is. Come on, Apple,” Gene called for the cat as he mounted his horse. The cat mewed and trotted over proudly, the apple hanging from its jaws. Gene set off toward the werewolf tribe. Keeping down wind, Gene traveled until sunset. He set up camp on the edge of the trees, keeping his fire low. He didn’t want any unwanted attention.  

 

Unfortunately for Gene, Apple seemed to be growling and hissing, arching his back and crouching back into the dense brush. Howls echoed out in the distance and Gene scowled. Just great. Luckily for him, Gene had a weapon and knew how to kill. He ushered his horse back into the woods and unsheathed his sword.  

 

“Pack caught pathetic humans,” Gene heard a wolf declare. 

 

“Good food. High Priest want female. We keep males.” Gene fought back a groan. Of course they’d get caught by the wolves trying to rescue Logan. And that meant Dante was in danger. Anger coursed through Gene’s veins. 

 

“Blue haired one back.” Back? Gene kept listening, hearing the snow crunching as the wolves got closer and closer. “Need starve them again.” AGAIN? Gene saw red and lunged from his hiding place, killing the wolves with no mercy. Apple sat up in the trees, growling down at the wolves. 

 

“Time to send this wolf village a message,” Gene chuckled, eyes gleaming with sadistic excitement. “I’ll be back. Apple,” Gene glared at the cat. “Stay here. I’ll be back.” All Gene took with him was his sword. He left the horse, the cat, and his bags behind. All he needed was his sword and his anger to wipe out every single wolf. 

 

His mind raced as he stalked toward the wolf village. This could be a chance to screw Zane over as well. Claim he was paid by Zane to deliver Aphmau to him and then kill all the wolves. His smile twisted cruelly. Yes, that would be perfect. Gene tracked down the village and by dawn, he was at its borders. The wolves seemed agitated and Gene felt a rush of power flow through his body, blue eyes slowly turned a deep crimson. 

 

“Escaped? How!” Gene heard a furious howl. The Alpha snarled and threw a crate across the village. Gene smirked because of course they had escaped. Now, he didn’t need to worry about getting caught by the others. All he had to do now was get rid of a few monsters. If anything, Gene was a master manipulator. He could spin this perfectly, get his revenge, pit it on Zane, and walk away with a burning village behind him so to speak. 

 

Gene confidently walked into the village, sneering at the wolves. “How did you get in here?” the Alpha snarled as they began to surround Gene. Claws came out as a warning. “Tiny humans are nothing compared to us. You have come to your doom.” 

 

Gene chuckled, shaking his head. “I was sent by the High Priest to collect his future bride and I hear you’ve let her escape?” he raised an eyebrow, chuckling growling louder and more manic. He gripped his crimson blade, brandishing it. The wolves growled and got closer. Ruby eyes bore into the Alpha’s skull. “It’s rather unfortunate that the High Priest doesn’t tolerate failure.” 

 

Notes:

The reason I made Apple gray and white instead of black and white is because Alejandro Saab, Gene's VA has a gray cat, so I wanted to merge the two together.

Chapter 7: Already Poisoned?

“So this is where you’ve been.”

Gene felt a shiver run down his spine as he struck down another wolf. The voice was nothing but cold as ice and steely. Shadows and a red aura radiated off of Gene as red and black armor appeared on his body. He chuckled lowly as power surged through him and the wolves stepped back warily. The Shadow Knight twirled his sword lazily and looked for his next target. 

 

“Which one do I kill next?” he mused to himself, sick and twisted cruelty in his gaze. No matter how many wolves would appear, he’d kill them. “Mm, I’ll save you for last,” he grinned at the Alpha, spinning suddenly and slashing a wolf's throat. The Alpha Wolf howled in rage followed by a small whimper as one of his pack mates died. 

 

Thus, the blood bath began. WIth inhuman speed, Gene lunged at the wolves, stabbing one wolf in the stomach and kicking another one back. Gene grunted as a wolf grabbed him and threw him across the field. He jammed his sword in the ground to stop him skidding too far back. The sword ripped up the frozen ground. The wolf he had kicked created a small crater from the force of the kick and Gene fell into it. 

 

Gene ducked down as two wolves jumped at him. The wolves collided with each other and Gene slashed his blade, killing both instantly. He smirked and jumped out of the crater. Laughter erupted from his throat as if the wolves fighting for their homes and lives was the funniest thing he had ever seen. He threw his head back and raised a hand to cover half of his face, ruby eyes glowing with amusement and malice. 

 

The wolves snarled and split into groups in an attempt to overwhelm Gene. Unfortunately, the Shadow Knight was not easily overwhelmed. One slash from his powerful blade sent three wolves flying back into the huts, destroying them. He slammed the butt of his sword into a wolf’s jaw and kicked the wolf back. One by one Gene mercilessly struck them down. Yelps, whimpers, and howls of pain and sorrow echoed out across the snowy fields, eventually drowned out by maniacal laughter. 

 

“You’re a monster! The High Priest is a monster!” The Alpha snarled as Gene slowly approached the sacred cave. The Alpha snarled and lashed out with his claws, a strike Gene effortlessly blocked. He pushed back, slamming the Alpha into the wall. “You are not human!” 

 

“You’re right. I’m not,” Gene smirked, looming over the wolf. “I’m a monster, and you’ve greatly angered the High Priest. You let his bride go, and you hurt MY BROTHER !” Gene screamed in rage, voice distorted due to his Shadow Knight form. “You held him captive and starved him,” Gene growled, eyes blazing with fury. 

 

The Alpha bared his teeth, growling. “Puny humans are below us. They deserve—” 

 

“Enough!” Gene roared, punching the stone behind the Alpha, cracking it. The Alpha whimpered, shivering back. “I’ve killed your entire pack. You are nothing. You’ve always been nothing. You need help from a human to gain the status you had. How pathetic,” he spat. His sword plunged into the Alpha’s stomach, a weak, wounded howl echoing out. 

 

“You’ll die here alone,” Gene smirked, ripping his sword out and flicking his wrist to get rid of the blood on his sword. The Alpha laid on the floor, whining in pain as his vision flicked in and out. “Have fun,” Gene chuckled and walked away from the cave. He took out his flint and steel, setting the remainder of the village on fire. 

 

Smoke rose toward the sky as Gene walked away from the carnage he had created. He groaned as pain twinged in his head. He swayed and fell to his knees in the snow, pulling at his hair. His armor turned to red dust and he hissed in pain. 

 

“My strongest Knight, you left me.” 

 

“Shut up!” Gene shouted, pulling harder at his hair. 

 

“You will pay for this betrayal. Do not forget who created you. I am still in control, and I will allow you this little stint of freedom before I come and take you back,” the voice spoke condescendingly, almost talking to Gene as if Gene was a child. The pain in Gene’s head grew more and more. 

 

“Have fun playing the hero, Gene. Soon enough, your brother will turn his back on you once he’s seen the monster you truly are. Everyone will turn their backs on you and you’ll be alone again.” 

 

“SHUT UP!” Gene roared and the pain instantly vanished. He hunched over, gasping for air, chest heaving. Sweat rolled down his face and back. His body quivered and he tasted bile rising in his throat. He dry-heaved into the snow and coughed, eyes watering. The power from his Shadow Knight form dissipated, leaving him lying in the snow, feeling weaker than ever. 

 

“Mrup?” 

 

“Apple? I told…you to…” Gene weakly admonished as Apple rubbed his head against Gene’s hand. The cat circled Gene with worry before curling up next to him, trying to keep him warm. A gentle flurry began to fall from the gray clouds above. The cat growled and pressed closer to Gene as he started fading in and out of consciousness. 

 

—

Laurance shivered as he set up camp outside of Lucinda’s house. Something deep inside him stirred with unease, and flashes of fire and brimstone filled his mind and he physically recoiled away from the poison ivy he was clearing out. 

 

“Are you okay, Laurance?” Dante asked curiously, carefully approaching Laurance. He side-stepped some poison ivy and stood next to Laurance. “You look pale and…spooked. Did you see something?” The youngest guard started to scan the surrounding area for any monsters or O'Khasis guards. 

 

“I’m fine,” Laurance snapped, breathing heavily. “There’s nothing out there. I just…remembered something is all. Go back to your post.” Dante cast Laurance a concerned glance but followed the order. Laurance took a deep breath to steady himself as he went back to clearing away the poison ivy. 

 

Why was he getting flashbacks to the Nether? And why did it scare him so much that he felt a Shadow Knight’s presence? Laurance continued to set up camp, fear slowly rising in his chest. Was it himself he was sensing? His eyes widened in horror, body freezing. Did he not have as good control over his Shadow Knight form as he thought? 

 

“You’re afraid,” Laurance jumped when Malachi suddenly appeared next to him. The ghost child stared unblinking at Laurance. “But it’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid with Mom here.” Laurance struggled to smile at Malachi, unsure if the kid realized just how dangerous a Shadow Knight was. Laurance wasn’t sure Aphmau was strong enough to handle him. Hell, he wasn’t even sure Dante and Garroth were. 

 

“It’s complicated,” Laurance murmured, laying out the sleeping bags. “Don’t worry about me, kid. I’m okay.” 

 

Malachi frowned at Laurance, seeing through the guard’s obvious lies. “You aren’t, but you say you are,” he sighed. Before he went inside Lucinda’s tower, he spoke up once more. “It’s not good to bottle things up. You may think it’s better to bottle your emotions and fears up, but it will only poison you.” 

 

Laurance shivered and watched Malachi fade away. He stood in the tent longer than he would have liked, running Malachi’s words back through his head over and over again. Maybe…just maybe Laurance was already poisoned. 

 

Chapter 8: Waking Up...Again

“Have fun dying?” Gene groaned as he woke up to Leon’s teasing voice. He slowly blinked open his eyes, adjusting to the light. The sandy brown haired bandit smirked down at Gene, eyes shining with amusement. He stepped back from the bed and looked over his shoulder. “He’s awake.” 

 

Gene slowly sat up, muscles burning with protest. “Ugh, where–” He cut himself off, looking around the room of an inn. Pain flared in his head and Gene’s hand shot up to press on his forehead. Faint laughter echoed in his mind before fading to a loud silence. Someone cleared their throat and Gene looked up. 

 

Kivka brought a wet cloth up to his forehead. “You were out for a couple days.” Her brows furrowed with concern. “What happened out there?” The older woman sat by the bed, motherly concern in her eyes. She glanced at Damian then at Gene. “You should be dead.” 

 

“I’ve heard that one before,” Gene joked followed by a cough. He winced as his body ached. Apple meowed in protest as he jostled from Gene coughing. “Shut it, brat,” Gene scowled at the cat laying on his legs. The cat stood up and circled before curling back up. Gene’s scowl deepened, and Kivka couldn’t help but laugh. 

 

“Cute cat,” Leon sneered, smirking at Gene. 

 

“Precious, isn’t he?” Gene faked a smile. “Doesn’t he just make you wanna hold him under water until the bubbles stop?” His fake smile grew wider and Apple hissed in discontent. Leon stifled a laugh by coughing and rolling his eyes. 

 

“Damned cat has been bothering us all day. He threw a hissy fit when we tried to pick him out so we could focus on helping you,” Leon scoffed, shooting the cat a glare to which Apple innocently blinked with large beady eyes. 

 

Gene stood up, ignoring the deep ache in his bones. His head still hurts, but he could work through the dull ache. He had endured worse pain. Hell, his Shadow Knight form hurt all the time and he still managed to do his job. Right now, his job was locating Dante…again. Gene’s brows furrowed in frustration as his mind raced to figure out what to do next. He vaguely remembered that the Shadow Knights had infiltrated Pikoro Village and kidnapped the Lord to make him a Shadow Knight. 

 

Aphmau had been able to thwart that plan. Shad wasn’t too pleased about that and neither was Zane. Gene smirked at the thought of spiting Zane even more. And he was already in Pikoro Village. Apple meowed loudly and Gene glared down at his cat. “Shut up, brat,” he scoffed. 

 

“You’re planning something,” Kivka said, narrowing her eyes. Before Gene could protest, the old woman kept talking. “Don’t try to deny, kid. I’ve seen that look many a time before.” Her stern gaze almost permeated Gene’s resolve. “Don’t go putting yourself in yet another near death situation.”

 

“Don’t count on us to save your sorry ass again,” Leon huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. Gene and the bandit glared at each other before Kivka snapped her fingers. Leon broke eye contact first. “I don’t trust you. Don’t know if I ever will. Just stop causing trouble for us.” 

 

Gene grit his teeth but he didn’t start another argument. “Don’t worry. This will be the last time you see me.” The ‘hopefully’ went unsaid as Gene had no plans on reuniting with the bandits. Apple trotted out of the room as Gene gathered his meager belongings. He walked out of the hotel room, down the stairs, and outside. 

 

Almost immediately after stepping outside, Gene wanted to go back inside. The entirety of Pikoro Village was swarming with O’Kasis guards. Gene growled under his breath and kept his head down as he walked through the village. With a streak of luck, Gene made it out of the village without being suspicious. He aimlessly walked, following his cat through the woods. Why was he following a cat? Gene did not know. 

 

Eventually, Apple stopped in the middle of the gravel path. “Why are you—” Gene paused, squinting ahead. He could see a large house and the recognizable flash of blue and green. Apple had brought him to Lucinda’s house. Gene cursed and immediately got off the path, being mindful of the poison ivy as he climbed up one of the trees. “Why did you bring me here?” he scowled at Apple. Apple simply looked up and flicked an ear. 

 

Gene groaned again and stayed up in the trees, looking at the small group. He couldn’t explain the warm feeling he felt when he saw Dante was safe. He had forgotten how young Dante was at the moment, young and full of life…a life Gene had traumatized by making everyone back home forget who he was. Guilt panged in his heart. 

 

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Aphmau and the small ghost child wander off toward the nearby caves. Gene raised an eyebrow. Why did Aphmau need to go to the caves? Only the…Realization dawned on Gene. The Eldritch crabs. Their eyes held healing properties. Gripping his sword, Gene followed behind them. Those caves were always crawling with monsters on top of being full of the crabs. 

Apple stayed back while Gene went into the caves. It was tricky following the duo without being seen or sensed by the ghost kid—Malachi, Gene vaguely remembered. Gene always hated how monsters came out in the dark. Dante always used to be so scared of the dark because of the monsters. His heart clenched and Gene shook those thoughts away. Right now, he had to focus and kill as many monsters as he could so Aphmau and Malachi could get out safely. He owed it to Dante to keep Aphmau safe…even if Gene still hated Irene. 

 

When the creepers showed up, Gene begrudgingly wished Apple had come with him. The skeletons were a pain to deal with, and the zombies were pretty manageable. The crabs were deeper in the caves, and Gene assumed Aphmau had it handled. Striking down monster after monster didn’t help Gene’s already sore body. But, it did give him time to come up with a plan. After Aphmau came out safely, he’d go back to Pikoro Village and find the Lords and get them out. 

 

Gene vaguely heard Aphmau’s voice coming closer so he found a place to hide. Soon, Aphmau came out of the cave followed by Malachi. Malachi paused and glanced over in Gene’s direction, opaque eyes narrowing as if he could sense Gene. However, instead of checking, the ghost child quickly ran after his adoptive mother. (Much to Gene’s relief.) He reunited with Apple and watched the camp being set up, eyes focusing on Dante. 

 

“Don’t worry, Dante. I’m going to fix this. I’ll make it better,” he promised, both to Dante and to himself. He didn’t know how to fix everything, but he would damn well try. Even if it killed him. 

 

Notes:

Gene: I can handle everything. I can fix this.

Also Gene: I hate everything.

Chapter 9: A Little More

Summary:

No. 12: STARVATION
Underground Caverns | Cannibalism | "Just a little more."

“Just a little more,” Gene groaned as he pushed his aching body to its limits. His head hurt, his muscles screamed, and his thoughts raced. He still had to get to Pikoro Village, save the Lords to spite Zane, and follow Dante back to Phoenix Drop. Apple indignantly hissed again, biting Gene’s leg, trying to get him to take a much needed break. As usual, Gene ignored the small creature.  He didn't have time to rest. He had a job to do—many jobs to do. 

 

Despite being told to stay put, Apple stubbornly followed Gene back to Pikoro Village, hissing and growling at the O’Khasis guards. Gene repeatedly told him to quit it or he’d get arrested for suspicious activity. It was bad enough Gene had a cat following him around like a dog. Gene managed to get a room at the hotel. The guards forced him too, but hey, he wasn’t gonna complain about a free room. 

 

Apple curled up on the bed, glaring at Gene. Gene hated how he caved to a cat glaring at him. But he reluctantly got in bed. The moment his head hit the pillow he was out. As if hearing his prayers, Gene slept without nightmares or his voice plaguing his mind. He woke up to his journal open on the bedside table with a note saying, “You’re welcome, Friend. Don’t overwork yourself or you’ll never help anyone. Look for old allies. Good Luck, From M.” 

 

Gene wanted to throw the book out the window. “Gee, thanks,” he drawled. 

 

“You’re welcome!” The words appeared in the book mere moments after Gene sarcastically thanked the Divine. He slammed the book shut and shoved it in his bag. “Get up, brat,” Gene grumbled, picking up Apple and putting him on the floor. “We’ve got Lords to find.” His memory was hazy on the exact locations of the where Zane had kept the Lords, but Gene was confident in his ability to find them. How hard could it be to find two famous Lords?

 

Of course he couldn’t remember where the damn Lords were kept. Gene wanted to scream. Why was this so difficult? He could almost hear Mattias laughing at his struggles. “You were right, happy now? I overworked and I’m not thinking straight,” he huffed, sitting at the bar and ignoring the strange looks the bartender was giving him. Gene wanted to bang his head on the table when he felt the book buzz. 

 

“You look like you need a drink,” the bartender dryly commented, raising an eyebrow at Gene. 

 

“I need coffee,” Gene mumbled. His body still ached. Why did he lose control and kill all those werewolves? Going all Shadow Knight rage mode drained his energy more than he had anticipated. All he wanted to do right now was sleep, but he didn’t need anymore sleep. He had work to do. 

 

Gene glanced around the bar, body tensing when he noticed Aphmau talking with Jeffery, one of the Jury of Nine members. “Shit,” he grumbled. “Just great. Just what I needed.” He turned back to the bar. 

 

The bartender sighed and got some coffee for Gene, begrudgingly taking the gold coins Gene handed him. As Gene savored the hot caffeinated beverage, his mind wandered back to Mattias’ words. “Old allies, huh? Where would I find allies in Pikoro?” he mumbled to himself. The bandits had left. The only other “allies” Gene had were the Shadow Knights and Zane. Zenix and Sasha were still evil. Laurance hated Gene and would kill him on sight. He didn’t even remember if Vincent was around yet. Vylad…was Vylad. 

 

That only left Amethyst. Amethyst! “That’s it!” Gene grinned, slamming down the emptied mug and rushing out of the bar. Apple chased after him. The ex-Shadow Knight burst into the inn, running to the innkeeper. “I need to talk to Amethyst. It’s important.” 

The innkeeper raised an eyebrow but sighed, bringing Gene down to the kitchen where Amethyst was cooking a meal. “Honey, this young man says he needs to speak to you.” Amethyst looked up from her cooking. 

 

“You’re a Shadow Knight, right?” Gene blurted out. 

 

“What? No,” Amethyst denied and the innkeeper tensed. 

 

“Don’t lie. I know, but that’s not why I’m here,” Gene shook his head. “I’m looking for the missing Lords. And I think you know where they are.” He looked at her with pleading eyes. “I just want to help.” He couldn’t believe he just said that. “I  have no intention of turning you in.” Gross, when did he get so nice?

“I…how did you know?” Amethyst sighed, nodding to her husband. 

 

“My name is Gene,” Gene introduced himself. “And I’m also a former Shadow Knight.” 

 

Amethyst’s eyes widened into saucers. “I see. Why are you…why did you defect?” 

 

“It’s a long story. All I want to do is to stop those Lords from being turned into Shadow Knights and used to bring him back,” Gene quickly explained. “I need to find them and then I have to get back to my brother to keep him safe. I have to keep him safe after everything I did, and—” Why couldn’t he breathe?

 

“Calm down, child,” Amethyst soothed, having Gene sit down on one of the stools. “Deep breaths for me. That’s it. Calm down. Everything will be okay. Have some food. “I’ll tell you where I saw the guards take the Lords, but you need to calm down first,” Amethyst promised. Her calming voice and the food brought Gene back to reality. Famished, he devoured the food and looked at her expectantly. 

 

“I saw the guards take them beneath the well,” Amethyst admitted, sighing heavily. “I’d say hurry, but another Lord already came by looking for them. I gave her a dress. She was a very nice young woman.” Gene grimaced. Of course Aphmau had already been there. Okay, new plan. He’d keep the guards from getting to her while she was in the well. 

 

“Thank you,” Gene dipped his head. He wouldn’t leave just yet. He could spare a few more minutes. “Could you…tell me how you were able to defect?” 

Notes:

Gene: *struggling to get everything done in time to fix things*

Mattias: Don't overwork yourself fam! <3

Gene: shut

Chapter 10: Time to Blackmail!

Summary:

No. 14: LEFT FOR DEAD
Hunting Gear | Blackmail | “Because I want you to know what it feels like to be haunted” (tiLLie, kooL aiD mAn)

Gene was perched on the roof of the inn, hiding as he watched the guards at the well. He had studied the guard shifts and waited for the shift change so he could sneak into the well and find the Lords. The moon shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the village. The torches cast a warm glow while the moon cast a cool glow. Apple sat next to Gene, purring softly. Normally, Gene would have scoffed and told the brat to go away, but he didn’t. He mindlessly pet the soft fur, sighing heavily as he thought about Amethyst. 

 

“A Shadow Knight never truly gets redeemed. We’ll always have that shadow magic with us and those demons in our heads. The skeleton in the closet will always remain,” Amethyst sighed sympathetically. 

 

“But…there has to be something, right?” Gene pressed, staring at her. “You’ve made it this far and this long without succumbing back.” He set down the plate and grit his teeth. He wouldn’t give up like this. He had to keep fighting for Dante. 

 

“Aye, there are ways to cope,” Amethyst nodded. “But it puts a huge mental strain on you. Blocking him out is hard enough. To get where I am, you need to block everything out, and that can damn near break your mind if you aren’t careful.” 

 

Gene grimaced. The Shadow Lord’s presence was a near constant in Gene’s mind ever since he had unleashed his Shadow Knight form on those werewolves. “Any other things I should know about?” 

 

“Don’t reject your shadow magic,” Amethyst said. “It’s hard to see it as anything but a curse, but if you can control it, you can make it do anything you want. Yes, I said to block everything out, but that doesn't mean to ignore it.” The elderly woman put a hand on Gene’s shoulder. 

 

“I’m telling you, that you need to accept your past self, but move forward with a clear goal in mind. Focus on becoming a better person,” Amethyst smiled reassuringly. “That is the first step and everything else will fall into place after that.” 

 

Gene grit his teeth, glaring at the well. Nothing worth it ever came easy. He had a lot of demons in his mind, a lot of skeletons in his closet, and a lot of burdens weighing him down. He hated to admit how vulnerable he truly was. At times like these, he missed his magicks and being able to change people’s memories so he still had a silver of control. 

“Mrup,” Apple’s pointed meow shook Gene from his self-deprecating thoughts. 

 

“What is it?” Gene mumbled, glancing back at the well. “Oh.” Gene grumbled when he saw Aphmau jump into the well. “I guess that’s our cue.” Gene landed on his feet when he jumped from the roof. Dashing toward the well, he jumped into the water, swimming down to the tunnels. ‘Curse you for refilling the well so quickly,’ he silently cursed Aphmau. 

 

Sopping wet, Gene gasped for air and climbed onto the stone floor. He grumbled, feeling the clothes beneath his armor stick to his skin like glue. Faintly he could hear Aphmau rambling about finding the Lords. Gene didn’t care about her. He crept through the shadows, following her from a distance. 

 

Hearing footsteps from behind him, Gene ducked back into the shadows and watched Jeffery storm through, holding his sword. “What kind of power?” Gene heard Aphmau’s voice question moments later. He snorted softly. He had forgotten she didn’t understand that she was Irene’s incarnation. ‘How pathetic.’ 

 

The former Shadow Knight stayed hidden as Aphmau talked with Jeffrey and eventually ran past him to get to freedom outside of Pikoro Village with the Lords in golden lassos. Gene stayed behind. When Jeffery walked past, Gene shot out and pinned the Jury of Nine member against the wall, sword to his throat. 

 

“You—” Jeffrey growled, struggling against Gene. Gene used some of his shadow magic to enhance his strength to keep Jeffrey pinned. “You’re from the bar.” Green eyes widened in recognition. “What do you want?” 

 

“To piss Zane off, to piss him off,” Gene shrugged, eyes gleaming dangerously. “You know, if his high priestness discovered you let the Lord of Phoenix Drop go with the captured Lords, you’d be executed,” he taunted, internally grimacing at the hidden truth. Jeffrey had been killed by Zane. 

 

Jeffrey’s eyes darkened. “That’s assuming he finds out,” he huffed, attempting to push Gene off of him. 

 

“He will find out. You and I both know he will,” Gene chuckled and pushed Jeffrey back against the stone. “And who will be left to raise little Abby? Do you really want her to lose her second parent?”

Anger flashed in Jeffrey’s eyes. “Don’t talk about my daughter!” he snarled. “She’s…she safe. She’s fine. And I’ll be fine.” However, he hesitated as he started to lose faith in his words. Deep down, he knew Zane was a monster and wasn’t above killing a child or a member of the Jury of Nine. 

 

“Even you don’t believe your own words,” Gene laughed condescendingly. Irene, it was fun being sadistic and mean. 

 

“Why are you even here? Who are you?” Jeffrey growled, glaring at Gene. 

 

“Who I am doesn’t matter right now. I’m here for selfish reasons, but I am being nice,” Gene grinned with all teeth. “I’ve decided I’m going to help you survive just to make Zane angry.” He stepped back and let Jeffrey go. “All you have to do is listen to me.” 

 

Jeffrey took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes, brandishing his sword. “Why should I trust you?” 

 

“Do you want to die?” Gene rolled his eyes. “I’m the one keeping you alive. You should go to Phoenix Drop. Join their alliance or whatever. Take Abby with you. Trust me, Phoenix Drop will be the safest place for you two.” 

 

Jeffrey looked dumbfounded and angry. Gene chuckled. “You’re already a traitor for letting their Lord go, why not seal the deal and go to her for protection? You’ll be welcomed.” Gene knew about Aphmau’s bleeding heart. Jeffery and Abby would be safe with her, Garroth, Laurance, and Dante. 

 

Jeffrey was quiet, weighing his options. “I don’t trust you, but from what I know about Lord Aphmau, she has a heart and is willing to go to great lengths for others,” he sighed, sheathing his sword. “If I find out this a trap, I will kill you.” 

 

 Oh, Zane was going to be furious. Gene grinned wider. 

Notes:

Jeffery: *trying to do the right thing*

Gene: Oh, this is so much blackmail material!

Notes:

Hey guys!

I hope you all enjoyed this short little story. Keep a look out for future chapters. Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. I love hearing from you all and seeing what you have to say.

Come say hi to me on tumblr at blackcat2907. I'd love to answer your questions and just get to know y'all!

Have a wonderful day!

~Kat

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of Call me, and I'll fight the evil monsters