Title: Thief's Punishment
Characters: Haou, Skull Bishop, nameless OCs
Word Count: 400||Status: 1/1
Genre: Drama||Rated: PG (non-graphic death)
Challenge: Diversity Writing, A86, write a fic that doesn't use one consonant (z); Character Diversity Boot Camp, #29, bad; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #47, 400 words; Collect the Death Duelists (Haou),
Notes: This takes place during Juudai's rule over Dark World.
Summary: Haou has one punishment for thieves. In fact, Haou has one punishment for everything.
"Look what I've got!" The elder of the brothers lifted up his loot. "Brought from the master's own table!"
The younger one stared at his brother in disbelief. "You stole from Haou-sama's table?" Words choked in his throat even as stern footsteps sounded, echoing from the stone walls with enough gravity to shake the world.
Moments earlier, his brother stood proud and fearless, a silver goblet in one hand, taken by this lowly servant. As the ruler of Dark World entered the room and met terrified eyes, the two of them fell to their knees without hesitation and with a great deal of terror.
"Haou-sama, please forgive me! I meant no insult to you! I only wanted to.. "
His words broke off as Haou raised one hand. Skull Bishop answered the gesture without hesitation.
"Theft isn't permitted. Nor is sheltering a thief," Skull Bishop spoke for his master and to the both of them. "The sentence for both is death without a duel."
The younger one leapt up at once, rage overcoming sense. "That's always the sentence! You're not a king! You're nothing but a murderer!" Perhaps he wouldn't have said anything if they'd been allowed to give a defense, even if he knew they'd die anyway. But to enter their quarters and sentence them at once? It was wrong!
Skull Bishop drew his blade and stalked forwards to carry out the decree, no more bothered by this than if he'd been ordered to swat a fly. There wasn't anywhere they could run; the quarters had only one exit, and Haou himself stood there.
It didn't take long. Haou watched with impassive golden eyes, a strange blank card in his hands that glowed faintly with each death. When he spoke at last, his voice lacked emotions just as his eyes did.
No one had ever seen Haou show an emotion. No one knew if he had any, besides a commitment to swift, fatal judgment, no matter the offense.
"Yes. I am. But only of those who commit crimes first."
That said, he turned and left. Skull Bishop delayed long enough to have other slaves clean out the room and search for new, trustworthy servants. Then he followed his master, somewhat bored by these petty discipline issues.
Their work remained unfinished, and Super Fusion hungered for more souls. Haou hoped to find some better suited to his masterwork than petty thieves.
The End
Notes: It's so rough being a ruler, isn't it? THis is why we should never let Juudai be in charge of anything.