Chapter Text
Author's Notes: Okay, so I don't usually do this, but I'm going to try posting the chapters of this as I get them written and edited, as opposed to what I usually do, which is finish the whole fic, then fight to get it edited and posted when my brain is done with it. So here goes nothing. Also, the title is currently just a working title until I hopefully come up with something better.
Pain burned molten hot in his head, the sound of the blade piercing through his hand ringing in his ears. Blood splattered, warm red across his face. He cried out, unable to contain it, but he was still lucid enough to turn this injury into an advantage for himself. He had fought his way all the way here for this moment, the bodies of his battalion littered around him, for this chance to strike.
The demon's blade trapped by bones and sinew, Hikari dove forward, pushing against the sword and lunging in with his own in equal measure. He grasped the hilt of the wounding blade as hard as he could, his aching fingers curling around the hilt. His sword in his left hand, he struck with all his might.
The voice that had taunted him before, a voice chillingly similar to his own, could only screech now, caught off guard. The demon pulled back, trying to take his blade with him, but Hikari held fast, and ran him through. A splash of black blood spread out through the air, dropping like rain in the sand, and for a moment, everything felt frozen in time. With a sudden ignition, dark fire consumed the twisted form of the demon, licking black and purple flames, and finally, it was gone, sword and all nothing more than ash.
Hikari fell to his knees, the rush of battle leaving his body, the pain overwhelming his senses. It was over, but he couldn't close his eyes just yet. He fought to get to his feet, for something to staunch the bleeding of his hand. The wound pulsed, ached all the way up to his head, blurring his vision. But he could see that a few of his fellow soldiers still stood, still living for their effort, as impossible as their survival had felt. They had a long trek home, but at least they were alive.
A few days time had seen all his injuries heal but one. His right arm would never heal. The shadow of a roiling darkness covered his flesh to his elbow, a wave of ink black undulating just below his skin. The palace physician whispered about it in words that Hikari could never catch, in a tone that betrayed the hopelessness of the case. It was no ordinary injury. Hikari could tell that for himself. The way it made his arm twitch and tense, looking for all the world like it had become the claws of a beast before easing back to look like his own fingers once more. No, this was no simple injury. This was a curse.
The darkness had bloomed from the wound in his hand, a long, thin mark that pierced through his palm. The searing pain of that stab wound had boiled his brain in the moment, but it did not stop him from performing the killing blow. He had laid away every night since, listening to the cavernous whispers of darkness all around him, but he knew their source. The voice was the same as the demon he had fought spoke in, a sharp and cold facsimile of his own. He had defeated the demon, but it had left a lasting mark on him. In this curse, it had the last laugh. And all Hikari could do was cover his arm to hide it. Even attempting to speak of it caused him to feel nothing but pain, the twisting and churning of his insides so hard that he doubled over. Nothing else could be done. Almost as troubling as all of this, was the call that came to his residence after noon a week after his return, a pair of guards to lead him.
The call to the throne was rare, so rare that Hikari could count on one hand the number of times he had been summoned by name to stand before the King since his appointment to Lord Protector. He walked the long wooden halls of the palace, lead by a pair of guards, even though he knew the route himself. It was move meant to make him feel like an outsider, even though those who spoke with him would have tried to present it as protection for him. The protection would not be pointless, but he could not imagine these guards would be terribly interested in doing that. They were all at the command of General Mugen, the King's right hand man and favorite son. And Hikari's brother.
He entered the throne room and immediately took a knee, even as the eyes of the court fell on him, full of hatred and spite. On the step above, towering over him was the King and the General, his father and brother, purposefully distant from his lowly position. It had always been that way.
“Lord Protector, Prince Hikari of Ku.” One of the guards spoke aloud to the room, although the introduction would not have been needed. His name was curse on everyone's lips.
“Stand, Hikari.” The king's voice was a loud rumble, distant thunder telling of a coming storm.
Hikari followed the order, folding his hands behind his back. The whole of the throne room felt steeped in tension, hanging in the air and choking out all noise save the steady beat of his heart.
“Your King has a quest for you. A mission that you should be honored by,” Mugen spoken next, his eyes fixed on Hikari, hard and black. The scowl on his face made his disdain all too clear. There had never been a time when the face of his brother had looked at him with even a shred of kindness. “Listen well.”
He did not reply.
“More and more of our kingdom every day is lost to the growing threat of the spreading desert. For hundreds of years, our family has been all that stood between our kingdom and the desertification of our land. But with each day, it the desert grows and we lose more and more of what made our nation great and prosperous.”
Our family. If Hikari had found any humor in that at all, he would have laughed.
“Your sacred mission is this. You will journey out and find what our scholars say will be the final solution to this long suffering of our people. From the far west, you must return with water from the Spring of Life housed in the Shrine of Ul'sterra in order to revitalize our land and bring it back to the splendor that it once held.”
The desertification of their land was no secret. It was true that every year it seemed to worsen, that the lush greenery and abundant resources that Ku had once enjoyed withered away a little more. It had been on going since their forefathers, with the people powerless to hold it at bay. By the time Hikari was born, there was almost nothing left.
“I understand, Your Majesty,” he finally spoke.
“Your mission is clear.” Mugen still glowered, but a smile seemed to tug at his lips.
“I will not fail, for the glory of our people.”
And with no fanfare, he was led back away. The guards did not leave him, even as he was led back to his residence, where the news of his leaving had already reached. A simple pack was already prepared for him. The trip would require him to travel lightly, although he did look over the contents briefly to ensure that he would be ready for the challenges of the road. The attendants of his residence had prepared him well, including a few days worth of rations. A few of them approached him, wishing him well, expressing their concerns, but it was useless. He had to go. This was something that he had to do. He did his best to ease their fears for his safety. He had come back alive from a hopeless situation once before, and he would do it again.
There would be no hesitation. At the western gate of the palace, his horse was already awaiting him, saddled and ready. Mounting his horse, he looked out over the scattering of guards throughout side hall. Rather than the usual glances of disgust, all of their eyes seemed to be avoiding him. All save one.
Although no longer a guard, Ritsu stood at the exit and he met Hikari's gaze. He wore the scarlet tunic of his promotion with pride, and the rank of captain suited him well. Seeing him made Hikari's mouth dry out, the grit of sand still so clear there. It had been more than a week since they had spoken to each other, fought back to back, and Hikari felt every minute of that absence in his recuperation.
Once they had been friends, their bond transcending the barrier between them as Lord and retainer, as royalty and common folk. But that was gone now, swept away in the dunes that week ago. Now Ritsu had been transferred, switching from the east wing of the palace to the west, to work below Mugen. It was a transfer that he had asked for, and given his help in defeating the demon, he was promoted in the change. The suddenness of that change stung at Hikari. Years of friendship, gone.
“Lord Hikari,” Ritsu said, voice gravely, low. The cadence and tone were clear. Where there had once been friendship, now there was only malice.
Lord Hikari...
Hikari....
Hikari.
Just Hikari, no barrier of formality between friends, now replaced with an iciness unlike anything before. It was too late.
“Captain Ritsu.” Hikari said his name as he ever had. His own feelings hadn't changed.
Ritsu, unbending from his gaze, waved to the guards to open the wrought iron gates. With a tug of his reins, he urged his horse forward. As Hikari past, his eyes remained ever fixed. Just at the cusp of the gate, Ritsu spoke once more.
“Travel safely, Lord Hikari.” There was no comfort in those words, no sincerity.
“Thank you, Captain Ritsu,” Hikari replied all the same.
He couldn't stand this any longer. Staring out into the scarlet sunset, he spurred his horse and they shot out into the desert twilight, leaving the palace behind. He did not look back. He couldn't.
It was two full days ride to reach the edge of Ku, the borders stark desert from faded green fields. It had been worse than Hikari had expected. In the capital it had always been sand, endless dunes of yellow white bleached by the sun, but out here, he could get a feel for what Ku had once been, a land of verdant plant life, blessed with springs and forests. It had been something he had only heard of in stories, as when he was born, the desertification had taken much of Ku. He doubted that even five generations of his forefathers had seen much of what Ku once was.
As bad as the spread of sands was, the after effects proved all the more deadly. Not just the withering of crops that spread starvation, but the rise of monsters, horrible evolutions of what had once been native fauna that roamed the desert as a constant threat to the people who called Ku home. And Hikari spend two days constantly reminded of their presence. Three encounters in two days where he had had to fight for his life against the abominations. He would not run from them, even if his horse was surely able to outrun them, but killing them meant the area was a little safer for his effort. He had spent many days training against monsters in his years as Lord Protector, so they proved no real issue for him, but the frequency of their attacks did. Even a fit soldier had his limits.
He left the desert behind, trading sand dunes and crumbling roads built by his ancestors for dirt trails and a brilliant green world. Everything was different, a new experience for him. The air didn't rob him of every drop of moisture, didn't threatened to sizzle his flesh. Rather, it was cool, the air not feeling like so much dust in his lungs. The road was solid, hard packed dirt stamped with the hooves of many horses before his own, and the hills it ran over and through covered with verdant plant life, dotted with the colored faces of flowers. If there was truly a cure for the desertification of Ku, it had to lay somewhere beyond, in this land of lush greenery.
But even now, he was being followed. The monsters were not put off by the change of environment, and his presence had drawn their attention. A fourth encounter would be unavoidable. All he could do was lead them off the road and try to find a spot for the fight where he would have even a modicum of advantage. The flower dotted hills would have to do. He quickened his pace, and so did the monsters, a trio of canines with extended and twisted maws and crouching gaits. They followed dutifully, the trio of them loosely opening their formation, two moving in an attempt to flank him. They were hunting him, that much was clear. He lured them to the top of the hill, and readied his bow.
With a deep breath, he loosed his first arrow, catching one of the flanking beasts in the eye. Immediately, it tumbled to the ground, shrieking in pain, thrashing wildly. Another arrow notched, he didn't give it a chance to recover, even as the other two quickened their pace toward him, sprinting at a full gait. He fired again, this arrow finding purchase in the beasts head. It slumped, no longer moving, and he turned his attention, fitting another arrow into his bow.
Swiftly, he stepped back from being bitten, the other flanking monster already on his heels. The arrow he fired missed just only inches, grazing against the monsters back and landing in the ground. These other two were too close to continue long range attacks with, and he tucked the bow away, switching to his sword. Even touching the handle made the flesh of his arm roil in a way holding his bow had not. But there was no time to think about that when he needed to act to defend himself.
The two remaining charged him at the same time, one on each side, no more pretense in stalking him.
”You can do better than that.”
That cold voice whispered in his mind, as chill as the edge of death.
”Come on, Hikari. Slaughter these weaklings.”
He sharpened his focus, trying to ignore the whispers. He had enough to worry about with two maws bearing down on him.
Hikari spun, slashing outward, catching one of the beasts against its back. It yowled, turning to snap at him, catching a mouth full of the hem of his surcoat, but little else. He dove in harder, the blood in his arm stinging as he stabbed down. Searing pain made him clench the sword even harder, the painful twisting of his flesh was worse than the bite of either of these creatures would have been. Muscles and bone and blood all swirled together, morphing, changing.
”What good is the sword if you won't kill with it!” The whispers grew louder, harsher, shouts and insults and demands. He fought them as much as he fought the monsters.
With a flick of his sword, with strength not wholly his own, he lifted and flung the corpse of the second beast away from him. Its blood blackened his blade, and with a swift turn, he spun it forward once more, ready and pointed at the remaining of the monsters for his charge forward.
Its two partners killed, this one seemed to move all the faster for it, thrashing out with wild brutality as it chomped at him menacingly, a mouth full of awful, misshapen teeth and vile breath.
He and beast traded blows. A slash and a swipe of heavy clawed feet. One two. Slash, stab. It moved with efficiency that the other two hadn't, a certain intelligence in its eyes. He swung, and the beast caught his blade in its teeth, clenching tight. Hikari tried to pull the sword back, but it held firm, digging its massive paws into the ground to plant itself in place. If pulling would do no good, he would switch tactics. He pressed forward instead, throwing his whole weight into the handle of the sword and then pulled. With a snap, the beasts jaws opened, the flesh of its mouth rent open in a twisted smile and several of its teeth broken.
Hikari stepped back, an effort to gain ground and re-situate himself. The pain growing in his arm blurred his vision, tinting it darkly, but the glowing eyes of the monster fixed on him, and it coiled back, ready to strike as a snake.
A flash of gold caught his eyes, but more importantly, it caught the eyes of the monster, pulling it's glare away. Hikari refocused, and slashed forward with his sword, finally rending the last of the monsters defeated. In the moment as his blood calmed, he could see the distraction that had given him the chance at a fatal blow. A magpie fluttered around the monsters corpse, cawing. It landed, pecking at the monster, and then looked at Hikari.
“Hello there, little friend.” He sheathed his sword and crouched. “What fortuitous timing you have. Thank you.”
He extended an arm to it, although it would be in vain. Since the curse had set in, no creature beyond his horse had been able to stand his presence. But the magpie proved him wrong, happily hopping onto his left arm and holding on as Hikari stood.
The magpie cawed again, almost as if talking to him.
Sunlight played golden on the black and white feathers of the magpie, and its intelligent eyes seemed to look all around and then at Hikari again.
“What a lovely feathers you have. Here, allow me to reward your kindness, although it is not much.” With the bird on his arm, he walked back to his horse, and with his right hand, fished around in his saddle bag. There was still a few bits of dried fruit left over from his last ration, and he extended them flat in his hand.
That golden beak snatched at the raisins and scarfed them down with glee, cawing loudly. It fluttered and puffed itself up, and Hikari took that as it being pleased with the offering, even if it was small.
“I'm afraid I have little else to offer you, but I hope you know my appreciation all the same.”
The magpie hopped up to his shoulder, picking at his hair as if preening him.
“Ah, you are a friendly one.” Hikari continued to stroke it gently, chuckling. “Are you perchance a pet? Or just a lonely traveler, too?”
It cawed one, twice, its voice loud and deep, but soon it began to sing, a soft, low warbling sound. The sound was a soothing one, not much different from the few birds that still called Ku home, and for a long moment, he stood beside his horse, listening to the sweet bird sing its song. The song ended and it craned its head and neck around to look him in the eyes.
“A lovely song, little friend. Thank you again.” The first friendly face he met here on the road wounded up being this little magpie, who took to hopping and fluttering about on his arm as if excited by the praise. And for the first time in two days, Hikari felt a measure less alone, although he knew it wouldn't last.
Hikari mounted his horse once more, but the bird remained, digging its claws into the shoulder of his surcoat to hang on until he had situated himself upon the saddle. They rode off, back down the hill and returned to the road. The magpie cawed, flapping its wings, and finally took flight once more, leaving his shoulder. For a few yards, it glided along side him before catching an updraft and soaring higher, diving and spinning through the branches of trees. Finally it landed on a branch hanging over the path, and stared down at him as he rode beneath it.
“Travel safe, little friend,” Hikari said with a wave and a smile. And he was once more alone.