Raging Rapids

The chamber remained in the same state as it was before, in ruins. The red carpet flooring was torn apart, chunks of stone fragments scattered and embedded into the walls or floor, and several loose bits hovered around where the portal remained. Those mysterious pools of energy where ghostly limbs would reach out in a once wild frenzy had been tamed for some time, no longer in view as if a switch had turned them off. It had calmed yes, but the pools remained like putty holding the crumbling tower together in it's fragmented form, like shattered glass kept in place due to glue.

Felix and the others had become aware of this, ordering the girls to retreat and wait safely outside the tower for them. A once populated area had been reduced to few in numbers brave enough to stay their ground. Felix, Nyitzcha, and Norowa Reta in her werewolf state lied in wait, some a bit more impatiently than others as evident by Reta pacing around several meters. Felix was left in an exhausted state, his body red and sore to the bone feeling like each limb weighed one hundred stones. Nyitzcha although slightly bruised in her cheek from their earlier struggle with the priest sat by his side, gently checking his pulse with her fingers on his wrist while being careful not to press too hard.

Felix began to smile, opening his eyes slightly as she turned to meet his gaze. "I told you I'm still here, you don't have to-"

"Dun have to do anythin' I dun wan' to, am here to be sure yer wit' us still. Now keep yer trap shut, lay yer head in rest. I won't say it again." Nyitzcha dismissed him and pressed her hand against his forehead, holding it for a moment before pulling away. Her eyes flickering left and right, scanning his wound as if inspecting for anything she may have forgotten to check on him. He couldn't help but smile and close his eyes, taking one long breath before releasing a tired drawn out sigh. It was getting harder and harder to stay awake, he knew it and she knew it. He wasn't fooling her, Nyitzcha had witnessed her fair share of wounds from her past life in combat, she was no medic but she knew enough to tell her comrades to stay out of the fight.

Still, she sat beside him on her knees and shook her head, a part of her admired his tenacity in this. The boy had everything to lose and yet felt nothing holding him back, or was it that he used it to his advantage to keep him going? Twice he had fallen to Perdilius and still he got on his feet, his willpower originated from not just his lost love but also his past. She had yet to ask him about his youth, judging by the scars marking his back and the inscribed number on his collar, Felix had made it clear to her and his friends that it wasn't a childhood he was fond of. Whatever he survived through before, it's nothing short of a miracle that he grew empathetic and strong from his struggles.

Felix, how in the world you didn't become like him is a mystery, she thought to herself. He had every right to abhor monster girls just as Perdilius did. Yet here he sat, wounded, tired, waiting for his love to come home to him. Was she really that important to him, was she enough to change his perspective and hold her paw and accept her? Or was he always a gentle soul at heart, naive to an end but always there to protect his loved ones? Did he have any loved ones before she came along, was it that perhaps which gave him purpose to be here now?

Nyitzcha leaned forward, staring at the ground in contemplation. A sudden chunk of loose rock fell from the cracked ceiling and shot through the floor, creating a hole several yards from their position. Nyitzcha stared up alarmed, it wasn't the first bit of rock to fall under and she bet it wouldn't be the last. Guessing the age of this structure and it's current state due to the ritual, she silently hoped those lads would return quickly before the structure collapses onto itself.

"I don't like this, haaaaah this is taking too long." Reta muttered to herself aloud.

Nyitzcha sat up and looked at her direction before gazing back at the portal amidst the center of the room. "Nut much we can do 'ere."

"Chikuso! We shouldn't have voluntarily played into their game, why didn't we think twice about this? Instead we just let two or three of us to hop in with no guarantee of them coming back."

"Was in de moment, we hadn't much time to think it through. 'Sides it's their game, we're lucky t'be allowed t'play n'it."

"Aren't you the least bit worried that they're possibly gone? Probably not, you don't even know them anyways-"

"I know one 'n ye shut yer pus!" Nyitzcha shot up, raising her voice. "I've bin 'n enough combat t'know when a situation is dire an' let me tell ye, it was dire! I git dat yer stressin' an' all but quit blethering cuz yer nut helpin' 'right?"

Reta snarled, baring her teeth before turning away and crossing her arms, her wolf tail swaying low above the ground. Both ladies remained quiet as the tension stood floating in the air between them, neither certain of what to do or say. Nyitzcha looked back to Felix expecting him to speak up as he kept quiet, head resting against the wall with his eyes closed. She exhaled, feeling the stress drain from her small frame as her shoulders dropped down and her nerves crept back.

"I've lost people before, I-" Reta paused, swallowing to push that heavy lump out of her throat. "I don't want to lose any more, not again."

"Aye, in my time o'service ye git use to losing people close t'ya. Ye had no tail las' I notice so wa's yer tale?"

Reta paused, partially in thought but also because in truth she struggled a bit to understand what this woman was saying to her. "Uh, tale? Bit of a story I don't like to think about. I lost everything and I became... this."

"Is it permanent?"

"Every full moon, so kind of a weekly thing. It was a lot worse when it started but now I'm in control of it. No cure that I know of, I had one shot but... baka."

Nyitzcha nodded in return. "Spent some good years fightin' a war, found me-self a way out wit a good man. I left it behind me but he couldn't, so we split ways. Been on me own sense."

"No friends or family?"

"Lass, when yer in combat ye learn not t'make friends so dat it dun hurt as bad when ye lose 'em. Family live a-long ways, an' I lost ma way ages ago. Been doin' fine on me own, didn't mind keepin' if dat way if if weren't for dis bloke." Nyitzcha admitted as she poked Felix's leg with her foot.

Reta chuckled in agreement. "Same, I actually pounced on the fucker wanting to claim him as my own when I was in heat. His mate fought me for him, would have kicked her ass if I knew how to fight with these silly things." She rose up her paws erupting a laugh from her dwarf companion in return.

They froze when suddenly two figures emerged from the portal clouded in white light. Both women squinted and shielded their eyes, waiting as the light dimmed and faded away revealing Raz carrying Dimyri in his arms. A moment later another figure followed behind, this one smaller in size with two noticeable tails swinging behind her. It was Na'Vi, gently holding KuliKuli in her arms and shortly followed by Janette holding Syri with her.

"You're alive!" Reta's eyes beamed with joy as Nyitzcha stood up and smiled, poking at Felix.

"Yer back, oy wake up! Yer beloved is waitin." Nyitzcha tugged at his arm as his head fell forward resting on his shoulder. Her eyes dropped and she smiled, running her hand in his hair before letting him sleep. "Ye deserve dat one, boy."

"Where's everyone else?" Janette asked, stepping up to Reta who cautiously stepped back. "What?"

"You're... normal now yes?" She asked, noticing her eyes were fine and she lacked any weird light surrounding her.

Janette raised her eyebrow before it clicked. "Yea it's me, I'm fine apart from his headache. Sorry about that. Where is everyone?"

"Waiting outside for you guys." She frowned, looking over Janette's shoulder at Raz.

Janette followed her gaze. "He's with us, discussion later let's just go already. Can you help with her she's a little heavy."

Reta snorted. "Not a kind thing to say about your love, bring her here-"

Everyone froze as the building began to tremble around them. Dust fell from above and bits of the wall began to crack and spit pebbles outward. Looking back, the portal had begun to spiral like a whirlwind of energy, spinning faster and faster and sucking up all the matter which emerged from it. The strange essence surround the tower structure where the souls sprouted from was now being drained back into its source as the portal grew in size. Bigger and bigger it became until the last drop of essence was sucked back, erupting into a blast. Janette closed her eyes and held onto Syri tight, feeling the gust of wind send her hair waving forward. She waiting, expecting to feel the worst of it in a moment before feeling different when Reta spoke first.

"What the hell?"

Janette opened her eyes as did everyone else, turning around she was now at the ground level facing the tower entrance. Raz, Na'Vi, Reta and Nyitzcha all stared upward at the tower when Janette was the first to turn back to face the group that stood waiting for them. All of the familiar faces, Ori'chi, Nukka, Zimi and Mimi, all of them with puzzled faces. Everyone spun around and stared awkwardly at each other, unsure of what to say until Ori'chi pointed out with her paw with a light squeak in her voice.

"They're here!"

In a moment Janette and the others were surrounded by their group of friends. It became hard to hear what anyone was saying as everyone cheered for them, screaming and crying out in joy, though she did notice they approached Raz but didn't surround him at all as they kept a skeptical face, some of them baffled with his appearance. He didn't say a word, just approached Nukka and offered Dimyri for her to carry before walking out from the group. He stopped when a large chunk of stone slammed into the stairs, burying deep and turning heads.

People began to scream as the tower began to fall apart, shedding its bricks like trees lose their leaves in the season of fall. Rather than a gentle motion of sway with a slow decent to the ground, each chunk of stone slammed with a speed and **** that left many too shocked to react in time. Raz looked behind the structure, worried that a bigger threat was coming for them. The tower was built into the top of the mountian, leaning alongside its rocky agriculture where a stream of the river descended down the mountain into a waterfall below. With the incoming collapse of the building came the increasing chance that nature would come crashing with it, his fears quickly became real as a cascade of water trickling through the seams began to emerge. He held his breath for one hopeful pause in time, praying that it ended there but it fell on deaf ears.

Deep into the forest, Alma was leading her group of the elderly and the children out of the jungle. One of the children spun around when an echo was heard amongst the trees like thunder on its way forward, reaching out with his tiny hand for the others to turn around. They followed as Alma felt a chill in her pointed ears as they witnessed the towers' destruction.

In a moment the tower erupted from the middle as a large body of water swept through, crashing down.

"No!" Many cried out, folding over and hugging one another in a final embrace. Nukka stared up at the body of water, waiting for it to sweep them off the ground and carry them away but it didn't happen. She couldn't breathe, she was too scared to do so as she lay in wait hovering over Zimi, Mimi and Dimyri to shield them as best as she could. But it just stood several meters above their heads, not quite hitting them as they expected.

Ori'chi looked up from leaning atop of Felix, looking around the crowd and finding one man with his hands raised high, resisting the large waves threatening to wash over them. Raz felt his teeth grind hard, his face turning red as he furiously struggled to keep the mass of water afloat. Large pools of water washed around them, flooding the grounds and running down the stairs as more and more water followed. He groaned hard, sweat forming on his head, fingers tense and muscles cramping as he willed every bit of himself to keep it away from them. It felt like pushing off the ground expecting to **** the ground down rather than push yourself up, it was an impossible task to achieve.

He fell to his knee and the river came much closer, showering everyone with a pouring of rain as many girls squealed and squeazed their eyes tight waiting for the worst. Ori'chi felt her eyes shake as she couldn't break away from watching him fight for his life to keep them safe. For a moment time kept still amidst the overwhelming feeling of despair, of the few who carried either the curiosity or courage to look upon their doom they recognized that this man was now their only hope for survival.

Raz needed to concentrate in this life or **** situation, unlike the others he didn't have the option to look away. He needed to stare into the eyes of **** itself if he wished to fight for survival, was it a selfish need or perhaps a way to atone for his deeds? Those words Ira spoke to him before echoed in his head, that no matter what he did they would not forget him for what he had done before. One does not simply become a new man, such an act reminded him of his fathers preaching about being born again, begin anew and be washed of your sins with his blessing. That was the promise he offered to his followers, his soldiers, but not to him. Had he extended his hand to his son at that moment, Raz would reject it.

No, it's not fair for either one to forgive and move on nor to be forgiven and continue absent-minded. It does not work that way, he wished it would but he could not fool himself into believing that lie. A murderer cannot be forgiven for their crimes just by asking permission, befriend a thief but do not forget what the thief is capable of even if they are your friend. People don't change, not easily at least and if they should they will work for it. But not for you, not for an audience but for themselves. He could see his reflection in the water, like a mirror of the last face he would ever see. That's how close this wave had crashed down, inches from his extended hands. He couldn't see his mother or his father but only himself, an angry bitter guilt ridden lost child with no path in his life, filled with rage to the world, to his parents, to himself.

Rage, hostility, resentment.

It opened his eyes wide as he began to understand why Ira took to him before, why she seemed curious about his past and why Pryde picked apart his present state. Was he becoming like his father in a way, or rather a product of him? Is that what he would be reduced to now, living in the shadow of Perdilius, a living reminder of the dangers those Nekomata Girls faced? This isn't who he wanted to be, what's done is done. He won't run from it, he'll embrace it. His eyes narrowed as he found himself staggering and lifting up from his knee, planting both his feet into the ground, his boots squeaking along the running pool of water dripping at their feet.

Your emotions fuel you, but only your spirit may guide you. Lose any and you will fall victim to whatever danger confronts you.

That voice... he blinked to himself and shook his head. She was right, he can't beat it like this, not with sheer power alone. He can't fight it, but he can embrace it, guide it, direct its nature elsewhere...

Raz closed his eyes, breathing in and embracing the cold surrounding him before he lowered his hands. Ori'chi gasped as she believed he had succumbed, her instinct kicking in as her mind yearned to survive. Several cat girls took notice and witnessed what he did next.

"HA~AH!"

Extending his arms to the sides, the markings on his palms began to emit a soft blue hue. The threat of the incoming river flooding them had retreated, parting ways just past his fingers before surrounding the rest of the group. Whatever large roar of river they heard was swept under as the noises of destruction were drowned and everyone dared open their eyes. One by one they stood in awe at the spectacle, holding hands or paws and standing side by side. Raz breathed out, directing the motion of his arms in correlation with his legs, moving in a slow dance-like form, creating signs with his body movement. They wouldn't comprehend it, but he was instructing where the river could flow. Nyitzcha being the shortest in height felt the water around their feet reaching up to her thighs, she was the first to notice how the small pool would get drained and sucked into the surrounding body flowing past them.

Pressing his wrists together, he relaxed his muscles and extended his arms upward before lowering them gently, each hand forming a different sign. A sway of his leg, sweeping calmly across the wet floor, then the motion of his arms forming a circular pattern as the river began to follow. Round and round it swirled, filled with debris from the fallen structure. Nukka reached out into the water and slapped it, catching a fresh fish in her paws much to her delight. Some others were following along to what Raz was doing, but it would only be clear to Alma and her group from the outside as they were witnessing the river raise higher and higher taking the form of a large snake before shooting up and evaporating into the clouds.

Not a word was spoken, not a sound was made, but that would soon change as suddenly it began to rain. It wasnt hard rain nor was it a delicate sprinkle either, the river had been drained to an extent that it was left one third of its natural size. Puzzled faces, baffled glances, a shared realization that they were still alive. Regardless of the ongoing rain, all eyes soon fell onto the lone man standing several meters away. Raz kept to himself in silence, facing the clouded gray skies as the rain helped wash away the blood dripping from his nose.