Chapter Text
When does a man become a monster?
When his eyes turn an unsettlingly bright, vivid amber like colour, matching the king the knight had set out to kill, set out to rid him from this plane of being. That goal was set for this kingdoms people, those whom he'd learned to adapt because of. He had taken a curse, one for his soul, to that 'king', to prevent the downfall of blue kingdoms strongest knight, he took the offer, praying his sacrifice would be taken clearly, then why did this lion pause, then why did Owain hesitate, he was such a decisive person.
Thy had asked, "Why do you make such a choice and hesitate before doing so?" The knight didn't reply, just staring at the void below. "No reply, sure, I'll stay quiet for now, Owain, but be sure, I'll be watching." The knight God boomed, towering over the golden clad knight. Owain nodded before being dragged out of thys realm.
~ «《 { ÷ } 》» ~
He was, to say, confused, the knight God visiting him, not in a dream, when his mind wasn't actively thinking, but by just suddenly ripping his soul from the land of Bannerfall, temporarily. Thy may try to intimate him, and he would be lying if he would never be scared, or fearful, but he could continue and keep going. Owain could -and would-, continue paying penance for the kingdom, even throughout this hellish experience.
Owain hadn't called this a good idea, but it was what the kingdom needed as a whole, then so be it. He'd taken this curse, not knowing what it would involve himself in, who it would involve himself in. His skin seemed stiffer, making his movements under the armour ever more strained. It would probably dissipate soon enough, he knew it would.
It has been an interesting deal, well, he wouldn't call it interesting, his soul, for the kingdoms safety was a no-brainier in his mind, the only thing that he has left to serve, was the blue kingdom, so why did he contemplate, he couldn't be getting attached, right, he knew he shut everyone out years ago, only acting on muscle memory. Owain wasn't attached to… that cat kitty. He wasn't. He wasn't. He couldn't.
The sun had just slipped behind the horizon. He had something to do, he clutched his knife, one with a blade stained so vibrantly crimson, sometimes he couldn't tell if he'd broken the skin or not, -the constant throbbing pain in his body not assisting- one that had broken his skin too many times to count, so, he cut each and every spike and rope attached to the base, leaving mere threads, Owain knew this would be odd, the counterweight would be all off, to top heavy on the blade, but, he knew if he left this plane of being, he'd make sure Kitty wouldn't, couldn't, follow in his bloody footsteps, his own blood would be the only thing drawn from that sword, this knife, or anything he owned for that matter. Owain closed the blade, before ripping up some floorboards, and hiding the remnants of the cat'o nine tails, and, that knife, he'd paid all the penance he could, till he could barely move, and his skin was turning a shade of unnatural paleness, even for him. He placed the flooring back down, stomping on it to flatten it back to the flat and hidden normality.
He then, -be it slowly- walked out his old home, and turned to Kitty's home, up the worn steps.
He didn't have a current assignment do to, so, he might as well train, he definitely didn't just want an excuse to talk to Kitty. That would be unknightly, unbecoming of him. He walked to the patched up house kitty called her home, softly knocking on the wooden door. "Kitty…? You home?" He questioned through the door, his voice cracking as he spoke. He listened, and was met with a yawn from inside, "Mmmh, yeah…" Kitty mewled sleepily, presumably shifting to her feet, then making her way to the door, opening it slowly, while blinking softly at the setting sun. "Good morning to you too." He remarked. "Right, I was looking to do some training. Would you… want to join?" He paused for a second, seemingly weighing his next words, "It would probably be down by our beach." He added, his voice seemed wobbly, like each word strained him to speak. Kitty nodded, swiftly padding back into her home to equip her light armour before stepping back out, bow in hand.
They both made their way down, the sun clearing the sky to make space for its counterpart in the night. Owain was on horseback to avoid walking, and Kitty bounded along, although she was dropping behind. He slowed Faithful's steps into a rhythmic trot. The both of them continued down, not a word spoken, a comforting silence resting over them, only broken by the hoof steps and laboured breathing. Soon enough, they reached the beach, one worn through too many recreations of how to wield a sword. One where the then rouge, now knight by him expectantly looked at him, curiosity filling her eyes, a want to be like her knight, a want to be a Knight, one that lead her to him, one that kindled this trust and loyalty, not only to each other, but to the kingdoms and the familiarity of the land that they stood upon.
Kitty spoke, shoving him out his mind and back to what was happening. Kitty had made it to the beach first, bouncing on her heels. "What are we doing?" She asked, Owain sighed, slowly tying faithful up, a lantern placed on the ground nearby, he hadn't had a choice picking the pace, only the fastest speed he could do with the current condition he was working with. "I-" His voice felt like was sandpaper against his throat, "I- I just wanted to... talk." He mumbled. He slowly picked up the lantern, moving to be facing the sea, and sitting down. "Kitty, come here." He spoke softly, like his own words would shatter himself. Owain then heard the soft shifting of sand, and a soft weight beside him. "What do you want to talk about?" Kitty matched his tone.
He snuffed out the lamp, watching as it flickered out, before breathing shakily, and removing his gauntlets, placing them down between him and Kitty. Then, he moved his hands to the clasp at the back of his neck, slowly unclasping it. "Lion, what are you doing…?" Kitty questioned already knowing the answer. He didn't answer, the shifting sound of metal was loud enough, he lifted the lion mask off and above his head, and placed it into Kitty's hands. His own eyes closed, knowing the true colour of them may ruin the moment. Kitty softly placed the helm down on the coarse sand.
He gently held Kitty's hands, scars and memories against soft and pure skin. "I apologize, I sh-ouldn't have." He whispered, to both the world and the feline like companion. "Why do you apologize?" Kitty spoke, not knowing what he was just about to say, blissfully unaware, he could feel her rubbing slow, yet excited circles over his thumb. "Kitty… promise me something?" He asked, low and unlike him. "Sures, I can do that!" She beamed, her smile evident through the words even without the visual input. "Promise me you'll tell no one of this, speak no word about what i am about to do, and what you are about to see, in any way shape or form." Owain stated. "I- uhh okay! I can do that!" He chuckled lightly, before breaking into a coughing fit, his armour rattling with each cough.
He breathed slowly, almost creakingly, the sound inhuman, he then opened his eyes, turning to look where he thought Kitty was. Those eyes, his eyes, had turned a disturbing and freakishly vibrant colour, matching the resin and eyes of that 'king', and the richest amber, as if a streetlamp shining through the fog, just a much more bloody one, one labelled a killer.
“What’s with the staring?” Owain joked, it was a shallow one, barely feeling like such a jest, each word was spoken as if he could crack any moment.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kitty replied, tears streaming throughout the sorrows and pure fear, sorrows was probably the wrong word, pain of the heart might be more accurate.
“You… you’re impossible.” Owain trembled, each word spaced in his breath as if it was its own sentence. He leaned against kitty, a act of trust, one of weakness in the face of another.
Kitty shifted to support the lion best that she could, before replying, “You simply must be referring to my impossible beau-ty, right?” Kitty wept, most words accompanied by a shaking sob Owain could feel between them.
He shuffled, moving to be facing the stars, kitty followed his sound, soft sniffling coming from her direction.
Owain breathed slowly, each breath a struggling effort to continue living. "When- I'm gone, keep going." He stuttered. "And, could you-" He coughed, struggling to breathe. "-put the armour back on-" He coughed, and seemed to choke on his own spit. "-afte-r." "I- oka-ys." Kitty sobbed out, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck, he minded, but, he couldn't say anything, physically and mentally, he didn't care anymore, if anything, it was comfortable, and oddly grounding.
He tried to speak, he tried to mutter a quiet farewell, but he couldn't, by the gods he regretted this, his skin felt like the bark of a tree, and was slowly forcing him to stop breathing altogether, he knew he still was wanted, for his supposed crimes against his own father, he wore this armour, that mask, to hide, it wasn't prideful, it had just turned into a need, without it, people shunned him, and his brothers would likely kill him were he stood if anyone caught sight of his true face. Overall he regretted it for this rouge-knight, the one currently drowning in her own tears at the crook of his neck, he wanted to apologise, he wanted to beg the gods for forgiveness, marr himself even more if it meant living to see the kingdom as a whole together, but he couldn't. If it meant seeing Kitty happy again.
"Lion- please-" She was cut off by her own sobs. He struggled to grit his teeth, his vision was starting to fade, the edges turning darker and darker, before the world could properly fade out, Owain felt a few resin coloured tears weeping from his glowing eyes, before he entirely stopped moving, right before he left, he heard a whimpering "Farewell Owain, I- hope you find hi-m."
~ «《 { ÷ } 》» ~
Fel curled at his side, trying to get any moment of comfort, of any feeling apart from deep, deep loss. Fel had lost another knight. As the sun rose, fel saw the human face of the lion felis had grown to look for. He was scarred, each one a cross shape, his right eye half closed, the other wide open with resiny tears dripping from both. He looked as if he was scowling constantly, a uncommon occurrence for fel. The hair on his head was rough, the straight locks clearly off center and jagged.
Purr had been there for hours, cried there for hours, -the sun had well past risen- till purrs tears ran dry, then, without a noise much louder then a quiet whisper. Purr slipped the lion mask back on, fiddling with behind the clasp behind his head, and slipping the gauntlets back on mosaics of crosses, ones made with blood.
They hated to leave him there, but Kitty knew they couldn't move him, so, they ran, they ran back to the kingdoms, they didn't think who to find, just whoever kitty found first would do, they had to do something.
Whiskers feet hurt, throbbing actually. The bridge was empty of people, so was the rue bar, then whisker turned, continuing to bound down the blue kingdom paths, then, Kitty saw the statues, the former monarchs of the kingdoms, whisker started sobbing again, each step felt heavier and harder. Kitty then spotted a figure of someone -or figures-, whisker couldn't see much at all, the world a blurry mess.
Fel knew people were speaking, but all fel could hear was the ringing in felis ears. Fel felt someone's arms around fel, Kitty practically fell over after given support.
After minutes the ringing in its ears slowly died down, becoming a background noise instead of the only thing Kitty could hear. "Welcome back, Kitty." Someone whispered gently, Kitty recognised the voice to be of Graecie. It was shaking, its voice as it spoke, reflecting as so. "L-lio-n, g-gon-e." Graecie shifted, turning to someone behind her to speak, "Mae, go find everyone." She asked, then turned back to Kitty, "Do you know where he is?" She softly questioned, hugging it tighter. It merely nodded. "Okay, thank you, in a little while, I'd like if you could lead the kingdom down to him, could you do that?" Graecie continued. Kitty nodded again.
A while had past those of the kingdoms reactions to the shocking news the monarch had to pass on, some better then other, Nom seemed awfully responsible in the way he had reacted, regretful was a fitting word.
The blue kingdom gathered, a thin silence veiled over the group was only broken by sobs and sniffing, various members of the kingdom upset to varying levels from crying, to silent.
Graecie nudged paw gently, encouraging paw to start walking, paw did so, trudging down the riverside and taking the blue kingdoms side of the split in the river. Each step felt as if paw was drowning.
Meow squinted, eyes already blurring, the golden knight was still there, his body rigid and uncomfortably still. Kitty started weeping again, the memories of mere hours ago, and ones from times years ago. Meows knight, Diarmait, or little deer, who was cold to the paw and seeping a sticky soggy mess, one painting the floor and filling the home with a strong and unpleasant sour scent. He who was kind, he who had helped meow, he who had fed meow, he who had kept meow alive.
The lion, the one who whisker had learned had fled his kingdom, and yet held himself with much pride, one of honour and yet a spot on understanding of whisker. He, he had hid behind a mask, he still would, even after his passing, Kitty made sure of that, but the only thing whisker was struggling to comprehend, the zweihander, he'd left it, no particular thought of what to do with it, so meow did the only thing whisker thought was right.
Kitty padded over to the zweihander, slowly picking it up, it felt heavier then when she had played cat and mouse with the lion. It felt like it weighed with a burden, one he had not shared, not with his past, not in his dying moments, one of a weakness few knew. She slowly sheathed the zweihander slowly, almost pained.
Xe kept sobbing, body shaking tears that made the edges of zyr vision show spots, this overwhelming grief was worsening, his cold body laying on the ground meters away, his armour, that armour xe reequipped, by his request, if xe has a choice, xe would want it off, it could be selfish, it could be against his wishes, but all Kitty wanted to do was cry into his arms.
Cat shuffled over to his body, softly picking up Owain's gauntlet to clutch it, crying into the metallic armour, it felt like cats only grounding point, the only thing cat could fully hold on to.
All xe could feel was tears shaking down xyr face, body shaking sobs that made the edges of zyr vision show spots, this overwhelming grief, and regret was worsening, his cold body laying on the ground forcing zyr vision to blur with tears. Xe stared at the gauntlet in zyr hand, the cold armour cut into whiskers skin, whisker didn't care, whisker did care, but all they could do was cry.
Cat didn't know how to describe this feeling, pain, grief, hurt, something of the sort. Cat knew Owain wanted cat to move on, to keep going, to find catself, but all cat could focus on was the emptiness cat felt. The time cat had taken the Lions zweihander, that sword now passed to cat, it felt wrong it cats hands, too big, too heavy, and overall, cat knew if cat used it, it wouldn't be here. It may sit as a display, one for the lions honour, in the plans for a academy Owain had been drafting up, to find knights like them, pulled into a world they didn't want to be in, or shoved out of somewhere they belonged.