Crossblood - Completed

Chapter 48

A/N Asbjørn is pronounced Asb-yurn



"Straighten your backs, knees apart, you can't shift standing still what the fuck." The heat of the sun jabs at our exposed backs, sweat dripping from my brow and rolling onto my lips. The men in front of me vary in age, the youngest says he's fifteen but appears no older than thirteen. He plops down onto the grass, chest heaving as he lays down, sun shining off the sweat glistening down his torso.

"Get up and try again, you should know this by now." With a glare my way he's back on his feet, fighting against a man at least twice his age though he holds himself well against the beast. I've only been here for a week, an oasis in the middle of a snowy hell. It's no less than eighty degrees out as we roll across the grass, avoiding fists and claws and barred teeth at the same time.

The bear, Asbjørn, watches from the outskirts of the open field, his watchful eyes bearing into my back as I lead his men into another practice, running down the line to fix any postures or stances deemed unfit for battle. With the setting sun they become more rowdy, this many shifters packed together a pure miracle.

As the sun starts setting a line forms across the horizon, new recruits coming in from various camps across the area. Having slept in the carriage I don't know how long of a journey it was but by the looks of the men arriving, their shoulder slumped and feet dragging, the journey must've been a long one, especially on foot. As they spread out something catches my eye, the remaining sunlight singling it out as it shines off the bright blue ribbon wrapped around dark curled hair, the man's face turned away from the man instructing them to line up.

Further down a slender boy stands with his back straight, hands pressed firm to his sides as his eyes search the packed field. I can't tell if it's anger or excitement bubbling inside me as I shoo off the other man in charge, heading the older men off to bed as I take in the new ones, leading them around the camp and pointing to where certain things belong.

"Don't go near these tents." I warn half heartedly, pointing to the three large tents clustered together near the opening of the woods. Their deep red and purples absorb any light trying to reflect off them, their size looming and casting a shadow over the rest of the camp.

Continuing down the path we arrive at a cluster of smaller tents, lighter shades of red than Asbjørn's and of lesser quality though still better than others. Surprisingly the troops are well taken care of. The sun has completely set, the tents disappearing into the dark as I shoo them off, lingering at the opening of the camp for either Ezra or Kai or both to show up and explain themselves.

I'm not left waiting for very long, both turning up and leading me farther away, a smile wide on Kaiien's lips, body jolting with excitement as I pull him closer to me, rocking his body against my own until he's calmed down the slightest. Burying my nose in his hair I inhale the scents of lavender and vanilla, the fragrance complimenting the jasmine blooming under the care of the moon.

We linger in silence, the air rustling our hair over our eyes, the light breeze relaxing, the only time I've truly been able to relax. Our minds are empty as we sit down in the tall grass, white flowery weeds speckling the earth we lay in.

"And how exactly do two non-shifters get into a shifter training camp?" The wind carries off my voice, my fingers running through Kaiien's hair as he lays his head across my lap, fingers lingering with Ezra's as he lets off a light glow mimicking the moon's.

Ezra waves off the question, allowing us to drift into silence with the cicadas singing around us, an eerie reminder that it truly is the beginning of summer, only isolating us further from the rest of the iced over world.

Though the sun has gone down its heat remains in my blood, a drop of sweat rolling down the back of my neck, clothes clinging to me slightly as I pant at the rising temperatures. A hint of nausea overcomes me as I lay across the grass along side Kaiien, my face buried in his hair as Ezra overlooks us.

Skin cast against the dewy grass the nausea subsides, the fragrance of mint and jasmine and the occasional wild strawberry acting as my remedy to the overwhelming heat, the night air blowing against my heated skin and Kai's cool skin pressed tight against my own.

"I thought you had mated?"

"I had." Curls sweep across his cheeks, head tossing lightly with laughter as he hovers over our bodies, clasping one hand on each of our shoulders. Their's a sting then nothing, Kai rubbing at the spot his hand had been moments before. The heat drains from my system, the cool air catching up to me as I pull my clothes tighter against me in an effort to block it out

"You're temporarily relieved of your Heat." There's a smile on every word he speaks, laughter flooding his sentences and obscuring his speech. "You have enough on your plate." The laughter has died, his hands stroking Kai's leg absentmindedly as he turns away from us both. "Moon, you need to figure something out."

"I'm trying!"

"Try harder. You're close to those in power at the moment." He slips in the last part, an eye roll adding to it before he continues on as if nothing had happened. "See if they know something."

"And if they don't?"

"Find someone who does." We both look down at the thought-to-be-sleeping boy, is head digging into my chest as he faces away from the light, hands clawing at my shirt until he's comfortable.

"Shifters are powerful Moon, they aren't going to stop just because you say so. They don't even need the Crossblood." Ezra's eyes are distant, voice somewhere on the horizon as he gets up, picking up a sleeping Kai on his way. "They're powerful but corrupt." As he leaves I head to the smaller camp of three tents, heading into the largest one where Asbjørn lies at a desk, it's dark wood complimenting the blood red of the velvety tent.

"Moon?" His words come from the bottom of his chest, a deep growl that rises from his throat and explodes upon impact, his presence enough to set fear into some though I refuse to let it be known to me. "Trouble sleeping?"

He seems to truly want an answer to his question, body rocking onto all fours as he travels across the room towards me, sitting back on his hunches as he towers over me, gesturing to the silken purple couch at the other side of the massive tent. "N-no, I'm fine thank you."

"Tea?"

"No thank you."

"Then why have you come?"

Blood drips from his snout, claws coming up to scratch away at the flesh still mangled in his fur, veins strewn here and there, a spare leg thrown across the room and a peculiar stench fixating itself on the stale air. Without asking he throws the leg my way, the limb crashing against the wood table that at one time wasn't as dark as it is now, its rich color that of man not of wood.

"We don't really need to go to war."

The bear stares up at me, eyes empty and far cast, before leaving his seat and shifting. By the time he reaches me we're at eye level, dark brown eyes, almost black in nature, forcing me downwards as he stands over me. A chill travels outwards from his palm as he presses into my back, my body forced to shuffle nearer to him as he leans into my ear, breath hot and words menacing, hand grabbing at the back of my shirt as he whispers into my ear. "And why not?"

Asbjørn draws back, body straightening and eyes fixating on a painting at the other end of the room."Because it isn't necessary."

"Look up, Arehli." My eyes meet the painting, what seems to be abstract soon takes shape, the small oil painting that of an Ancient, Descansar a black and red hell in the painters eyes, blood pouring down in streams, ash floating through the sky of the miniature painting. There's a woman in tears in the far corner, her mangled legs drawn into her bony body awaiting her death... "Does Descansar look anything like that."

"No... not really."

"Do you see those demons in the background?" His hands find their way to my shoulders, massaging the flesh as he patiently awaits my answer.

"Y-yes."

Leaning over me, he rests his chin on my head, hand moving to my chest, nails dragging forcefully across the prints laid there. "That is how they see us. They see us as murdering demons that will take their children in the middle of the night. Lock your doors, the shifters are coming." The line stays in my ear long after he sings it, a jolt in my spine the only thing able to kick me from my thoughts, Asbjørn pushing me out the door though he lingers by my side.

The walk is a short one, Asbjørn pushing me into the orb lit camp, the ball of light bouncing around the top of the matching red and purple tent. The material is more silky than velvety, the bed on the far side far better than what the soldiers have, a bit of guilt flowing through me at the thought of Kai and Ezra.

"Get some rest." With a sickly grin he walks back to his own tent, head peering over his shoulder every few feet to check if I've stayed put. At the rate he's going I'm shocked there aren't guards posted outside the doors to keep watch over me.

Sleep doesn't find me anytime soon. My eyes chase the orb knocking against the metal poles of the tent, the ball disoriented and sliding down the sleek silk siding and bouncing across the rough floor. Birthplace of sin... Birthplace of sin... the camp? My thoughts go over every possibility, forcing myself to find somewhere that fits the ever so vague description of sin. It seems an eternity but eventually the orb grows duller and duller, lids growing heavy until I can no longer force them open and sleep finds me.


***


It isn't a long walk from here to the field, the sun cast behind the clouds as we pass over the remainder of our oasis, snow piling onto our troops for a few miles until we're back under the sunlight, the hour being enough time to draw away the clouds. Kai marches by my side, hand slithering into my own as Ezra stays back at a distance, blending into the rest of the men until the collective cloud of smoke rises over us, the purple haze suffocating until the wind clears it out, animals of every form growling behind the two of us.

We aren't the first to the field, two men in front of every crowd though thousands stand behind him. Directly across the field my eyes meet with a familiar blonde headed man, a sorrow in his eyes that can't be described as he steps up next to the two men and whispers something to them. They move their men in a new formation and Andrew slinks back into the crowd next to an eager Clide and terrified Will. Clide's been in war before, it's how Andrew found him, but the thought of having to fight against him sickens me, stomach turning just as a paw lands across my shoulder, Asbjørn leaning into my ear with a threatening growl.

"Command the troops, Arehli."

With one last look at my family across the field I hold onto Kaiien's hand tighter, the bear close behind me, both hands on my shoulders as he once again towers over me, hand quivering the slightest as I raise it above me.

"Attack."

And with the shout of one little word chaos erupts.