Aichi: A Free Psyqualian

Prologue

By KellyQ

Aichi was in a fighting stance, ready for a vertical cut with his sword to his opponent's head. The opponent that scheduled to fight him was a weak human with terrible fighting skills. The opponent went after Aichi, and paralleled his sword to the ground and aimed at his left shoulder. Aichi easily blocked it by moving his own sword to the left side of his body blocking his opponent's attack. Aichi sighed. He did not understand why Lord Takuto Tatsunagi of the Psyqualia clan had him and three others: Christopher, Leon, and Ren fight fragile creatures.

Most of his opponents would wind up in the hospital or completely baffled by their defeat. Aichi often tried to tell them that he was order to fight and not make enemies. Nevertheless, that wound up a big problem.

The opponent he faced had bruises, cuts, and was covered with dust. The condition that the opponent was in was nothing different from any other Aichi often fought. Their swordfight lasted a few more seconds with Aichi dropping his sword and doing a roundhouse kick at his opponent, sending him to the ground with a thump.

The hundred guests (who were there to watch) erupted into cheers. The small stadium vibrated and shook. Aichi sighed and plucked his sword from the ground as his opponent was carried away in a stretcher. Before Aichi turned and put his sword by in its sheath, he took one last glance at his opponent to see if he was going to be okay.

From the podium, Lord Takuto sat on a violet chair with two bodyguards standing on either side of him. Lord Takuto had short frost colored hair in the back, and his long side hairs went to his shoulders, giving an illusion that he was a young girl. His pale complexion was soft, and his amber eyes held power. Lord Takuto wore a white kimono for every tournament.

"Guard, bring Aichi to me … I wish to congratulate him," Lord Takuto said to the guard to the right.

"Yes, sire."

The guard walked out and came back five minutes later with Aichi legging behind.

"You may go." Lord Takuto gestured for the guards to leave. They bowed and left.

Aichi sighed, knowing what was going to come next, and he hated it.

"Come." Lord Takuto gestured for Aichi to sit next to him, "the next fight is going to happen … I want you to watch."

"I can see the fight where I am standing … but thanks."

Ren, a red-haired teen came out onto the dusty arena, followed by his opponent, who had short orange hair, high-heel boots, bleached pants, black shirt under his blue and white vest, named Kiriya.

The two opponents circled each other for a second, before charged—their swords smacking and colliding against each other, creating a clang and sparks. Aichi could feel Ren's psyqualia, and it was stifling, just like Lord Takuto's, Aichi thought with a shiver.

A smirk made its way to Lord Takuto lips as he watched Aichi. He got up, strode over and stood next him. Takuto reached out and started to run his fingers through Aichi's soft hair, sending a tingling feeling through his body. He never liked it when animosity showed through them. Aichi sighed. Is this all am good for? Fighting, and being played with afterwards, Aichi thought, feeling disgusted with himself for not fighting back.

It was always like this. After he would win, Lord Takuto would summon him, either to his chambers or to the podium.

Aichi shivered again when Lord Takuto wrapped his arms around him. "Are you cold … I arranged so that you're going to sleep with me tonight so that you're not cold."

A shadow loomed over him and Lord Takuto. Aichi looked up to see that it was a bird gliding by. Aichi pulled out of Takuto's arms and followed the bird a few feet away from where it landed. Aichi bent down to exam the bird to see that it was Siegel. It hopped toward Aichi and they stared at each other before it fluttered its wings, and it flew off. Aichi rose to his feet and watched the bird fly until he couldn't see it. I wish I could be free like that, he thought feeling Takuto wrap his arms around his waist.

"How about you go inside and get some rest." Lord Takuto pulled away. "Guard!" he called out. The guard who was there moments ago, walked in and bowed. "Assort Sendou to my chambers, and make sure that he is not disturbed, is that clear?"

Aichi glowered at his lord before he followed the guard out of the stadium. It was in the back, a large property with a house that stretched out like a triangle that had seven rooms. Lord Takuto's room was the largest and most decorative.

The guard opened the door, and Aichi walked in as the guard closed the door behind him. The walls were white with a portrait of Lord Takuto sitting on a velvet chair above the fireplace. A sleeping robe lay on the bed. Another thing that Aichi wasn't fond of. Lord Takuto controlled everything around Aichi, especially when they were alone. Lord Takuto was more overbearing than normal. With an exasperated sigh, Aichi went to the washroom, but he stopped, knowing that he was just going to get dirty again once Takuto came in. Another shiver ran through Aichi's body. Changing his mind, Aichi walked out of the room and back to the bed, to change out of battle clothes into the robe.

Aichi sighed again, crawled into bed, and closed his eyes until he felt weight on his chest and his arms forced over his head. His eyes snapped open to see that Lord Takuto was on top of him. He had a glint in his eyes.

"Someone's being disobedient …"

Aichi frowned, "does it matter? It's the same thing every night!"

A soft growl came from the back of Lord Takuto's throat. He let go of one of Aichi's wrist to slap him across the face, but Aichi took the opportunity to hold Lord Takuto's wrist and use his strength to push him to the side of the bed with his body.

"I'm not in the mood tonight—okay?"

Aichi got off the bed and made his way to the door, but he failed to realize Lord Takuto had gotten up was right behind Aichi, pressing his blade to his throat.

"You are going to wash—" Lord Takuto paused for a moment and moved some hair away from Aichi's ear, "but if this is your way of saying that you needed help cleaning yourself, all you had to do was ask."

Aichi sighed, "I'll be out in a few moments," he murmured, lowering his gaze.

Aichi woke up and hour later, feeling the need to take another bath. He always felt dirty when he shared a bed with Lord Takuto, but he had no choice in the matter. It was the same activity in bed every night, and he started to miss how he made his own choices.

Aichi was able to have choices before, and that was something that he missed when he lived at home with his actual family. He had real friends too, and he missed them. Now that he thought about it, he forgot what they looked like.

Aichi got out of bed and made his way over to the shower room to freshen up. After he was done, he got dressed to walk outside.

The night sky was clear with a patch of clouds drifting by. Aichi readjusted his coat as he walked aimlessly around the garden. Red and yellow roses gave off a sweet aroma that eased Aichi's troubled thoughts as he walked.

He stopped when he came to the middle of the garden to see Leon plucking dead roses from a bush with his dagger. Leon's golden hair shined and his pale skin glowed. His white kimono had a soft effect of the moonlight.

"What are you doing up?" Leon asked, snapping Aichi out of his thought. Leon had turned to have two roses in his hand; he was standing right in front of Aichi. "Shouldn't you be with Lord Takuto?" Leon frowned when he saw a distant look in Aichi's face and he remained silent.

Aichi didn't know what to do. He wanted to tell Leon what was really going on, but Aichi chose to help him trim the roses.

"Leon … have you ever thought about seeing what the world look like through humans?" Aichi had pulled out his own dagger and started to hack off dead roses and he wasn't doing a good job. He paused when he felt Leon put one of his roses in his hair.

"Why are you thinking of this? Aren't you grateful that you have a safe place to stay?"

"It's not that I'm ungrateful or anything … I just miss my family and friends … that's all," Aichi murmured truthfully.

Leon studied Aichi for a moment and it was the first time Leon noticed a distant look on Aichi's face.

"Get some sleep, Aichi, and try not to think about humans too much." Leon moved the second rose in front of Aichi. "And make sure that Lord Takuto gets the rose."

Admonishment was something that Leon always gave to Aichi and the others about humans. Aichi sometimes wondered why Leon had a negative approach toward humans. Nevertheless, he never asked.

To Be Continued …