InsaneJournal

A large room, darkened into dim shades at the edges, the walls tall and cracked from age with no sign of a ceiling above. The floor was dirty, worn in places, faded to yellow in others. Thin trails of water pooled here and there, and the faint ‘drip, drip’ from its source echoed through the chamber. Any noise was amplified three fold, and could be heard from anywhere in this empty place.

The scrapping of claws on metal, a constant rumbling growl, words slurred in a thunderous voice that struck fear in the heart of any man. Death threats and throaty howls.

This room had four solid walls, no doors or windows or openings out of any kind. Anyone could enter; not just anyone could leave.

Bars jutted out across one wall to another, crisscrossing in an odd mess of a once vertical and horizontal masterpiece, making diamonds instead of squares. Hanging from the middle, and only straight, bar was a tattered banner proclaiming the kanji for “sealed”, battered at the edges from fire and splattered with blood. A cage that cut off more than half the room.

Step, step. Light footsteps of a small body, a child still half hidden by the darkness, traveling the worn path to the edge of the bars. Dressed simply in a crisp black suit and tie, his tiny hands holding a briefcase that should have been much too heavy for him, he looked young and pale under his mess of black hair, out of place. But his eyes were old, filled with shadows, not wide nor as innocent as they should have been.

In a voice that did not match his body, in a tone that could command an army, he spoke: “Nine Tailed Beast.”

A voice echoed out in answer. “Who disturbs me?” From the darkness behind the bars a massive shape appeared, and the boy was pleased to see just what he was looking for.

“Are you in need of assistance?” Yuca Collabel asked in a polite, coldly smiling way. Not a expression one would normally see on a child of perhaps five.

“From the likes of you, vermin?” growled the beast. Large and long limbed, red as fire and powerful, the energy of its hatred rolling through the bars of its prison to wrap around the human child in billowing, smoky trails, grasping for purchase at any weakness he may have. None were found; it streamed past him like ribbons, and tickled against his skin.

Yuca refrained from giggling.

“Yes.” And he was still smiling, widely now, like a kid stating the truth proudly, all teeth and certainty.

The beast peered at him with a large, bloodshot eye, showing its fangs in a parody of an answering smile. “What do you want?”

Such a smart thing, to ask for the catch. They could help each other, for they had a common goal: “The end of all life.”

Vicious now, the smile grew. “Will there be blood and rage and death?”

Yuca had its attention, and he knew it. Half smug, he answered, “If you wished there to be.”

“Release the seal, boy, and behold the power of the Nine Tails!” cackled the creature. To be free again was what it clearly wanted, something quite within Yuca’s power to grant.

“What will you do, once the seal is gone?” He needed to know, of course, in its own words.

“Rage! Rage upon those worthless Mortals who imprisoned me! Tear upon their dwelling and rend their flesh with my fangs and my claws!” Delighted at the prospect, it could nearly taste their blood and fear and pathetic attempts at preventing it’s violent rampage.

“Revenge?” the child asked as simply as inquiring of his mother’s plans, hardly surprised. This being clearly had a one track mind.

It would do.

“Revenge!” it howled. “Revenge for this torment! Rend their flesh and crush their bones, topple the mountains and raise the seas!”

Further description of its bloodlust was prevented by Yuca’s interruption of, “How many will you kill?”

Eyes flashing red, it growled throatily. “All of them! Every one of those pathetic little flesh bags!”

Just the answer he wanted. “You will do all of this, if I release you?”

“Yes!”

Yuca opened his briefcase and removed an odd piece of machinery, made of metal and what looked like bone. Pressing a button, it did something, nothing large or flashy but something enough for the paper seal to peal itself away from grating and the bars to become normal, ordinary metal.

Crashing against the bars, feeling them give, the Nine Tails howled in victory. “Foolish child! You shall be the first!”

The bars lay in tatters at its feet, crushed under its paws when it sprang forward, jaws open to scoop up the human and feast on its young flesh. A painful, uncommon death awaited. The boy didn’t move, wasn’t even looking.

Yuca fiddled with his machine, pressed a button and the metal twitched, braiding together in twisting patterns. Shooting from the floor, the remains of the prison banded against the Nine Tail’s throat.

Around its neck was a collar that had not been there before, and in Yuca’s hand was a leash. Refusing to whimper, hardly cowed, the beast pulled up short and glared down at the defiant human in unbridled rage. It could not speak.

“Rid this world of mortal flesh,” the boy said, pulling the leash taunt. “Let me see the end, and I will be the last you devour.”