Taming the Storm (Crimson Storm Chronicles Book 1)

by Yumoyori Wilson

  "I won't die. See, I'm here. I'm sorry. I won't let James win. We have to avenge Storm together, okay?" I comforted, rubbing her wet fur.

  She stared at me until she knew I wasn't going to fall back asleep before she looked up and began to howl.

  "Is anyone coming?" I asked her.

  She lowered her head and nodded quickly, but I felt her worry. We wouldn't last long out here and the temperature was dropping with every minute that passed. Akihiro's image came to my mind.

  "Is it Aki?" I wondered aloud. It would make sense because he knew these parts the best. If the blizzard had doubled in size, the others would have a harder time navigating.

  "Woof!" she replied in confirmation, but sat back impatiently.

  "Uru."

  She looked at me with worry. "He's gonna have a harder time finding me. You have to go get him," I declared.

  She shook her head in disagreement and walked into my lap.

  I sighed, giving her another hug, enjoying the warmth of her body, even with her drenched fur.

  "I get you don't want to leave me, but Aki won't know we're down here. Listen," I began, pulling away to hold her head in my hands and stare directly into her pink eyes.

  "Change into your owl form, fly up to the top and switch back to wolf form. You'll be able to smell Aki and find him faster. Than you can bring him here. Please. I'll try my best to get up this cliff. At least that way, it doesn't risk Aki falling. Can you do that for me?"

  She quietly stared at me, waiting to see if I was just acting tough for her. After a moment, she lowered her head in agreement and I pressed my forehead against hers.

  "I'll live. I promise," I whispered to her.

  "Woof," she replied, then her body was consumed by white light.

  I lifted my head to see her owl form as she began to move upward, fighting the strong winds. She looked back at me and I waved.

  I'll be okay.

  "HOOT!" She soared upward and disappeared from my sight.

  I sighed, staring down at my hands that I could barely feel. How am I gonna stay warm?

  Aki's voice rang through my mind.

  "There's a spell you can do that will stabilize your internal heat. Even if by chance you get stuck for hours in the snow, you wouldn't' die.

  "Spell... What was the spell?" I whispered aloud as I wrapped my arms around myself. My leather jacket was the worst choice for this weather, but I guess I didn't expect to be at the bottom of a cliff during a snowstorm.

  I closed my eyes in concentration and the words began to form. "Allow thy heat to spread within. Let the cold be nothing that can diminish the fire that reigns inside me."

  I opened my eyes and saw three magic circles materialize beneath me; my body grew warm. I sighed and slowly rose to my feet. It felt like I'd run a marathon and was forced to walk home with cuts and bruises.

  I looked at my wet blue jeans that had a few large tears and some areas were stained with my blood. My top clung to my body with rips and tears. My jacket was the only thing still intact.

  I opened it up and patted the hidden pocket, sighing in relief when I felt the little box that I knew contained the blue crystal.

  I have to protect it and locate the others. I took a steady breath and glanced up at the cliff before me. I reached out my hands and felt my swords appear.

  "I guess I have to sword dance my way up," I said out loud, glancing at the blades. It was going to be a long shot and I didn't know if my magic would hold out, but it was better than just standing here.

  I backed up, allowing myself to focus. I'd only been successful with this technique twice and that was nothing compared to what I now faced. The risk was high, and I could either lose my stamina or my magic could run out halfway, leaving me helpless as I fell back to the ground.

  I swallowed and doubt began to sink in. I quickly shook my head and took a calming breath before charging forward. The longer I waited, the higher chance of me giving up became. I needed to do this now, once and for all.

  My Kitsune prepared to assist me if needed and I could feel a hint of Storm's magic still within me. I increased my speed and jumped off the ground. My foot landed on the wall, but I pushed off in a second, twirling my body to create a swirl of wind that would assist me in moving higher up.

  Push. Twirl. Land. Push. Twirl. Land.

  Higher and higher I soared, until the ledge of the cliff was in sight. I pushed off once more, but didn't twirl, using my swords instead to pierce the wall. I dangled there and fought to catch my breath.

  "Just a little more," I told myself, using my core strength to lift my legs and place them on the uneven surface of the wall. I took a peek below and immediately regretted it. One wrong move and I'd be squashed flat like Eric and his partner. I gulped, looking back up and lifting one of my swords out from its solid hold, reaching up to stab it at a higher point.

  I kept the sequence going till I reached the edge and pulled myself over it. I sighed and laid down to catch my breath. Now, I’ll just wait here and—

  *CRACK*

  My eyes snapped open and I glanced at the ground below, noticing cracks begin to spread. Never a damn break!

  I went on my hands and knees and a sudden boost of adrenaline kicked in. I pushed off the ground and began to sprint, not looking back as the loud noise trailed behind me.

  How long is this damn thing? I ran until I slipped, falling to the ground. I quickly flipped over and watched as the ground behind me shattered piece by piece, coming straight for me.

  The mountains have magic and a mind of its own.

  Fury burst inside me and I screamed. "ENOUGH!" I declared and a wave of power blasted from my body. The collapsing ground slowed, coming to a stop a mere inch from my feet. I rose up and darted away as fast as I could. I wouldn't give the mountain another opportunity to kill me.

  I ran and ran until my legs begged me to stop and my lungs gasped for air. I went from a sprint to a more manageable jog, but ended up dragging my heavy feet as I tried to figure out where I was.

  I had run without direction and now I was completely lost. How are they gonna find me now? I began to slow my steps, but time continued to tick and the flame within keeping me warm began to fade. I was almost out of fuel and I didn't know what to do.

  I plodded along in the middle of the storm until I fell to my knees, collapsing straight into the pile of snow. I slowly turned to lay on my back and opened my eyes with difficulty and stared up at the sky.

  This is it? All the fighting and trying to survive being murdered, only to die in the snow? How pathetic.

  I bit my lip, but I could barely feel it. I lifted my hand slowly, noticing how purple it was. I slid my hand inside my jacket and retrieved the little box. I opened it and sighed, in awe of the tiny blue crystal.

  I used my other hand to take the pocket watch from my neck. The invisible magic had worn off and I took comfort in staring at it. I took the blue crystal out, letting the little box fall onto my stomach then tumble down into the snow at my side.

  Slowly, I placed the stone into its rightful socket and stared in amazement as a blue flame flew up to surround me. My vision was blurry so I couldn't tell what it was, but I smiled at its sad eyes.

  "I'm sorry that I won't get to see what you are. But, Uru will find you. Keep her company and find the others for me, please?"

  It lowered what I assumed was its head and returned into to the watch. I gripped it with my hand, allowing it to rest on my chest.

  The winds had calmed down in its ferocious intensity, but the snow came down heavier than before. It was like this was my burial and I'd be resting beneath layers of snow. I lifted the watch one last time with my left hand which still had a little bit of feeling left.

  I smiled at the pink and blue crystals in their proper places and sighed.

  I'm sorry, Uru. I don't think I can stay awake much longer. I'm sorry Yoshi, Haru, Malachi, Itsuki, Quil...and Aki. I'm sorry you have to find me this way. That is if you're able to
find my body at all. Storm Yuna...I failed you. I wasn't strong enough to complete the job you gave me. I'm sorry. From the bottom of my freezing heart, I'm sorry.

  I tried...I really did…

  My consciousness slowly faded and I imagined all the things I wished I had accomplished. Fun vacations with the guys, bonding time with Hakua, mother and daughter moments, and time to enjoy being a Kitsune, something I had longed for my entire life.

  Guess I'll always be a caged bird, craving to be free.

  ~AKIHIRO~

  Faster.

  I sprinted through the raging blizzard, squinting my eyes in an attempt to spot Crimson or anyone else in this thick storm. Please, be alive Crim.

  "WOOOOFFFFFF!"

  I slid to a stop and my ears twitched, straining to hear the howl I'd just heard. It would have been impossible with my human hearing, but having switched back into my half-Kitsune form, I could center my senses on the far-off sound.

  "WOOOOFF!"

  I turned to my left and began to sprint. I'd known Urufu long enough to identify her various howls and this one told me that she was frightened. Crimson, hold on!

  I caught the outline of a wolf and skidded to a stop when the form of Urufu appeared as she bolted to meet me partway.

  "Urufu! Where's Crim?" I asked desperately.

  "Wooof," she whimpered and slammed her paw into the snowy ground over and over again. Shit!

  "She's alive?"

  "Woof!"

  "Let's find her," I declared and Urufu howled before darting to my right. I followed her as we raced through the heavy snowfall. Ten minutes passed and we entered an area where the blizzard had calmed.

  Uru ran off in one direction then whimpered as she tried to skid to a stop. I pushed off the ground, initiating a spell to get me to Uru in two seconds. I hooked my arm around her and cursed when we both began falling.

  "WIND!" I called out and a whirlpool of air caught me. I sighed and looked over to see the remains of two people. I squinted my eyes, but they looked to be shifters and the lingering scent in the air didn't match Crimson’s unique scent thankfully.

  "A cliff. Dammit," I grumbled, looking back up and instructing the wind to lift us up. After we reached the edge, I carried Urufu a few feet away before setting her back onto the ground.

  "Woof! Woof!" She began sniffing the ground and started running straight.

  Crimson was here? I began following her, calling out Crimson's name. Another five minutes passed and I knew we were running out of time.

  "CRIM! CRIMSON!" I called out frantically and Uru raced forward before she skidded again. I began running, fearful she'd fall off another cliff, but then I tripped over something and face planted into the snow.

  "Ow!" I groaned and went on my hands and knees. The snow was at least up to my elbows in this section, but was still fluffy which told me it hadn't been long since it came down.

  "What tripped..." I began before my eyes caught a twinkle.

  "Blue?"

  "WOOF!' Urufu was back, but my eyes couldn't pull away from the little blue sparkle.

  I reached out to the silver item that had a blue crystal attached to it, reminding me of Storm's pocket watch when all the crystals had been in their designated places. As soon as I lifted it up, I saw the pink crystal and my eyes grew wide.

  "CRIM!" I cried and began sifting through the snow as Urufu used her paws to dig carefully. When I saw her, I pulled Crimson out of the snow and into my lap.

  Her lips were blue and her body variations of blues and purples. I quickly checked her pulse at her neck and listened while Uru whimpered beside us. I can't lose you, Crimson. C'mon my love, don't do this to me. Don't leave me!

  I found a pulse, but it was extremely weak. "Urufu! Find the cave!" I commanded.

  Urufu immediately began to sniff the air while I lifted Crimson up.

  "Kuroku," I commanded and a cloak appeared above me, draping over Crim's body. It wouldn't do much, but any added warmth would help.

  Urufu howled and began running; I raced after her. She knew how urgent this moment was and neither of us could afford to lose the person we loved.

  My memory triggered as we turned to our right and I saw the cave entrance. We rushed and I reached the end of the little cave. Urufu tugged at the cloak and laid it on the floor. I used my wind magic to straighten it out, warming up the wind with a little bit of fire magic before I lowered Crim to the ground.

  I checked again for a pulse and it was incredibly weak. I need to warm her up. I tried to take her jacket off, but it wouldn't budge. I bit my lip and realized she must have put some type of spell on it.

  I raised my hands above her. "Magic that binds my love’s clothes to her body, hear my plea. She will die without my help. Keep concealed whatever is hidden, but let me save my love from the shackles of death and release your hold," I commanded.

  I didn't know why Crimson would place a spell on her coat; she must have had a reason, but now wasn't the time to ponder on it.

  An orange magic circle appeared beneath us and when it faded, I tried again. It moved easily this time and I peeled off the rest of her clothes before creating a kimono of thick material. I wrapped her up and began to make a fire to warm up the cave when Urufu started to whimper and bark urgently.

  "Uru, what?" She began poking Crimson’s cheek and rubbing her face.

  I listened for a moment and realized she wasn't breathing. I was at her side in a heartbeat and my hands were on her chest doing compressions. I wasn't like Haru who could restart her heart and by the time they got here, it may already be too late.

  "Don't die on me, Crimson!" I begged as I continued to press on her chest. I moved to her lips and did mouth to mouth before returning to do more compressions.

  Back and forth, I tried to get her heart to beat. With each passing second, the fear that I'd lost her grew.

  "Not you too. Crimson, don't leave me. Please!" I cried as tears fell from my eyes and onto the pink fabric of the kimono.

  Please. Please! Storm, don't let Crimson die. I won't be able to move on again. I won't have any other purpose left. Please!

  Crimson began to cough before she took a big breath.

  I sighed and turned Crimson to her side. "You're okay, Crim. Just breathe. Help is coming," I reassured as she continued to cough.

  When she finally relaxed, I pulled her into my arms and wrapped my tails around us to insulate the heat. Her breathing was visible as her chest moved up and down at a faster rhythm, but I still needed to warm her up. Urufu sat right next to me and kept rubbing Crimson’s face with her head.

  "You're okay, Crim. You'll be fine, just breathe for me," I urged.

  She moaned softly and turned her head to rest on my chest, just above my heart. My heartbeat seemed to calm her because her tense shoulders relaxed.

  Within minutes, her breathing had slowed, but was steady and her body began to warm up. Uru rested her head on Crim's stomach and relaxed, keeping an eye on her. I relaxed against the wall and closed my eyes.

  Thank you.

  ~CRIMSON~

  "Crim?"

  I opened my heavy eyelids to see a blurred image of what looked to be Akihiro. I waited for my vision to clear and relief blossomed on Aki's face as his eyes began to pool with tears.

  I lifted my hand to brush away the first tear that rolled down his cheek. I gave him a tired smile. "Why are you crying?" My voice sounded as weak as I felt.

  He blinked, trying to stop his tears, but more began to spill and he lowered his head to kiss me softly.

  I relaxed into his kiss and my thumb brushed his cheek over and over again in an effort to comfort him. He released my lips and pressed his forehead against mine.

  "I'm sorry. I couldn't get to you in time and you had to suffer alone. You had to fight for your life and were actually dead for a few minutes. I just… I'm so happy you’re alive, Crimson. My love, I'm so thankful," he cried.

  I lifted my head slightly to kiss him gently on his qui
vering lips before sliding my arm around his neck. I pulled him into the best hug I could give in this position.

  "I'm here. Don't cry," I soothed. My Kitsune whimpered at Aki's sadness and it was difficult to keep it together, but I had to be strong for him in this moment. I’d died and he had to be the one to find me and bring me back to life. He deserved to shed tears and I hoped I could bring him some level of comfort.

  He held me tightly and cried for a while. I kept repeating that I was alive and okay until he calmed down. Uru woke up and had her moment of whimpering and little sobs as she pressed her head against my cheek.

  We all remained quiet for some time, basking in the warmth of the fire which felt like heaven. My body still felt weak and I was still numb in places, but Aki reassured me the others would arrive soon and Haru would work his magic.

  I reflected on everything that happened in such a short period of time. I went from human to shifter, killed two people, died and came back to life. Guess it was quite an accomplishment to achieve all that right before my birthday.

  "This wasn't the way we should have been celebrating your birthday," Aki admitted.

  I stared up at him and the sad expression on his face. "It's not too bad. I get to lay here in one of my lover's arms with my awesome familiar next to a nice fire. We're just missing the marshmallows," I whispered, trying to lighten the mood.

  "I should have told Malachi to bring some. That and green tea ice cream," Aki pondered.

  I let out a weak giggle. "It would melt by the time we finished the marshmallows," I pointed out.

  "Hm...I'd have Quil keep it cool. Or we'd leave it outside in the snow," Aki reasoned.

  "True."

  We were silent again and I closed my eyes, enjoying Aki's heart rate that was finally beating at a decent rhythm.

  "Crim?" Aki spoke and I wondered at the note of concern in his voice.

  "Hai?"

  "You're not human anymore?" Aki's hushed tone gave away his astonishment.