Kame
AU fanfiction. This means that the turtles have been placed in a unique world of my imagination and I do not have to stick to cannon. I am saying that to the readers that don't like this type of story.
I own nothing.
Chapter One
I watched him from the carriage. He limped with painful steps as he followed pulling his small cart behind him. Every now and again he would bend and retrieve wood along the road as his face grimaced softly in pain. The tunic that covered his frame did little to hide the bruises and welts that covered the slave's skin. I shuddered to think what his shell probably looked like under his tattered clothing.
"Hurry up, Kame," the caravan master yelled from up front and the slave hurried his steps despite having what looked like an extremely, injured leg.
"Master Splinter, why are we havin' ta travel with this caravan?" I asked as I turned to my teacher and adoptive parent, "They keep slaves. It's disgustin'."
"The Daimyo is insisting that you and your brothers be protected in our travels especially since your brother's health has declined and this was the only caravan headed in our direction," Sensei instructed as I looked back at the slave, "I am sorry that some of the truths of the world are hard to take, Prince Raphael."
I gnashed my teeth as I watched this "Kame" struggle to pull his cart up the steep incline the caravan was proceeding to climb. He tried to keep his face blank, but the weariness showed in his gaunt features.
"Kame looks really tired, doesn't he?" my baby brother whispered as he leaned against my shoulder and watched the slave push himself up the hill with what seemed like sheer tenacity alone.
Nodding, I cursed internally. "Kame" wasn't even a real name. This was just another name for "turtle." Mikey sighed sadly and I wrapped an arm around the smaller shoulders. My baby brother's empathic abilities made him feel the pain of others and his health had been declining for a long time. I was worried sick at how weakened he had become over the last year as his abilities grew stronger.
"Brothers, stop looking," Donatello urged as I blinked at my second, younger brother, "Haven't you noticed that if this Kame gets any attention then the caravan master ends up punishing him? I hate this for him, but we are doing him no favors."
I hissed angrily and pulled away from the window right when the carriage halted as the caravan master called for a midday rest. Donnie and I went to set up a picnic blanket as Master Splinter helped Mikey walk unsteadily to sit outside of the carriage. I cautiously glanced at the slave as Kame hurried over with his cart and began to light a fire for the cooks to begin preparing lunch. Finally, I looked away only to hear a cry of pain. My brothers and I look over to see the slave crumpled on the ground with a hand to his face.
"You are too damn slow," the caravan master hissed as he struck Kame with his foot while the slave curled into a ball to protect himself, "The Royal Princes and their bodyguard do not have all day to wait on your ineptness."
"H-hai, Master," the slave stuttered in a soft voice as I heard my baby brother whimper when he picked up on the pain Kame must be feeling, "Forgive me."
"Do not," Master Splinter warned as I stood up enraged as he soothed my baby brother, "Calm yourself, Prince. We have no jurisdiction to get involved. You cannot help him."
I sat back down and seethed angrily. Our world was full of different races of beings. There were humans, terrapins, rats, foxes, rabbits, and the list went on. Each realm had their own government and ruling party and unfortunately, some provinces still allowed slavery. Nearly fifty years ago the great Daimyo had revealed a prophecy that a set of brothers from the terrapin tribe would be born to bring all the races together in peace. My brothers and I had been orphans that had survived somehow in the woods for several months after our village had been attacked. Supposedly, the Daimyo had discovered us and realized that we were the chosen ones and had titled us as Princes.
I couldn't remember. I was the eldest, but I had only been three when we were discovered. Donatello had only been two and Michelangelo a tiny baby not even old enough to walk on his own yet. Master Splinter had become our guardian and said many times that he had no idea how we had survived so long on our own. He had educated us, taught us right and wrong, and the ancient art of ninjitsu. My brothers and I were being taken to the City of Light for the summer and we had been looking forward to the journey when we discovered Kame.
"I swear that I'm abolishin' slavery when I rule," I thought as the turtle helped cook the luncheon meal with people sniping at him for even breathing, "What do they want out of him? No matter what he does or how fast he goes they are so cruel?"
My brothers and I settled down to eat our food as I continued to observe. Kame was never allowed to eat the food that was prepared and crueler yet was forced to watch his master eat. The first time I noticed this I wanted to rip the human a new one. How dare he treat a fellow terrapin with such cruelty? However, the slave never complained and would kneel and keep his face neutral as he watched and smelled food he was denied. I had seen Kame savagely whipped for his stomach growling early in our trip and it surprised me to see him subtly swallowing air in order to fool his stomach into thinking it was full. This was an ancient warrior act for ninjas during times of war. How he knew this I had no clue since he looked only a year or two older than me.
Kame didn't even have a ration bag. Most slaves were treated decently and were given a bag to house their allotted food. This slave had nothing. Mikey had told me that he had noticed that Kame seemed to know how to forage and I figured he was able to grab a few mouthfuls occasionally when his master allowed him to search for firewood, but this was rare. I don't think that the turtle had been allowed to eat in over four days. I had stood to get a second helping of lunch when I heard the soft plea.
"Please, Master, may I have some water?" Kame begged as I noticed his hands trembling and the fresh bruises that had blossomed on his cheek from the earlier hit.
"Did I give you permission to speak?" the caravan master hissed as the turtle shook and ducked his head lower, "Why should I allow you such liberties, Slave?"
"Forgive me," Kame whispered as he bowed low to the ground, "I appreciate all that you give, but…but I am still of flesh and blood. It has been several days since I was last allowed water. I have slowed down in my duties as dehydration has set in. I only wish to serve you to the best of my abilities, Master."
I cursed internally as Kame turned yearning eyes on the bubbling brook that ran along the campsite. To not even have the freedom to be allowed to eat or drink was abominable. I sighed when the human jerked his head in a sign that gave permission. Kame hobbled to the brook and used his hands to scoop up a mouthful of water, but after drinking the caravan master came up behind him and dunked his head down into the water with a strong grip on his neck.
"You want some water? Okay, Slave," the human laughed into Kame's face after he pulled the spluttering turtle back up, "Have some more."
Kame's head was shoved again into the brook as others in the caravan laughed at the turtle's plight. The slave desperately tried to rise and his hands scrabbled at the dirt as he fought the drowning. I couldn't take it anymore, but another's voice called out angrily to my surprise.
"Leave him alone!" my baby brother demanded as he somehow found the strength to stomp over to the caravan master and pull the slave out of the water by the back of Kame's shell, "Why are you being so mean to him? Stop it!"
Mikey must have startled the human because the man reached for his sword and then froze when Donnie and I appeared before him with our weapons out and ready as we shielded our youngest brother.
"You dare reach for a weapon to use on Prince Michelangelo when you know that he is unwell?" Master Splinter demanded as he calmly stepped forward with deadly intent, "You do realize that you are in the presence of the prophesized nobility, do you not? What you have done is a crime in all provinces, Master Hun, and that means that I could demand your head."
"My most sincere apologies," the cowering human offered as I heard Kame coughing from behind me, "It was a habitual movement of my hand. I would never pull a weapon on the Royal Princes."
This man was a scumbag liar. A noise behind me made me turn and I gasped as my baby brother's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell as another seizure gripped him.
"Mikey!" Donnie and I called as we kneeled next to our convulsing brother and tried to keep him from injuring himself in the throes of his seizure.
I vaguely realized that Kame had stood and run as best he could into the forest even as Master Splinter was trying to assist us in helping Mikey come out of the seizure. I gasped for a second time when I was pushed into Donnie as Kame shoved some type of plant into his own mouth and began to chew before leaning over my baby brother and placing his lips on Mikey's mouth.
"What do ya think ya are doin'?" I demanded as Kame glanced up at me with those cobalt-blue eyes of his even as he chewed more of the plant.
"Helping," the slave insisted as he once again placed his lips to my brother's and I realized that he was feeding Mikey the plant and the convulsing was slowing.
Donnie and I looked at one another as Kame turned Mikey on his side and began to gently stroke the back of our little brother's neck as he murmured soothingly. Mikey's eyes slowly opened and filled with tears as he reached for me. My baby brother always wanted me after one of his attacks, but this time his seizure had been stopped early thanks to Kame.
"It's okay, Mikey," I cooed as my baby brother sobbed against my shoulder before looking up at the slave, "Thank ya, Kame. Whatever that was, whatever ya just did, ya have my complete appreciation."
"You have mine as well," Donnie offered as he stroked the back of Mikey's head as our baby brother buried his face in the crook of my neck.
"Child, what was that you gave the youngest Prince?" Master Splinter asked as he watched the slave with curious eyes.
"Fox leaf," Kame answered as he bowed his head, "Helps with seizures. I'll go get some more herbs to make a tea for Prince Michelangelo. The tea will help the ache in his muscles and rid him of the headache that occurs after a seizure. I'll be right back."
Even Master Hun did not argue as Kame disappeared back into the forest. I rocked my brother as I watched the slave return with some plants and hurriedly made the promised tea.
"Here, your Majesty," Kame offered as he held out the cup, but Mikey's hand shook too bad so I took it instead, "Sip slowly. I know that it won't taste the best, but this well make you feel better. I promise."
I should have been suspicious, but for some reason I trusted this Kame and allowed my baby brother to drink the medicinal tea. Mikey grimaced at the taste, but the pain lines in his face cleared as he fell asleep. Usually it took hours for my youngest brother to settle after one of his fits. This was beyond anything I had seen before.
"Amazing, Child," Master Splinter complimented as he covered Mikey in a blanket, "No healer has ever been able to assist Prince Michelangelo like you have. Where did you learn your knowledge?"
"From time when I still had a real name. My mother before she…before I lost her," Kame admitted looking sadly away, "The rest are from deep memories. I am glad that I could assist since it was my fault that the seizure occurred."
Donnie and I exchanged glances as Mikey slept peacefully in my arms. I knew that deep memories were a unique gift that turtles shared. Memories passed down from generation to generation, but how had Kame caused my brother's fit. The turtle must have noticed our confusion because he continued.
"He is of the Earth," Kame explained, "The young Prince feels the pains of the world as easily as feeling a breeze on your skin. Prince Michelangelo touched me when his fit came on. I didn't shield my mind in time."
"Wait, ya mean that Mikey's seizures occur when his empathic abilities click in?" I demanded feeling hope that maybe we had found the answers to my baby brother's poor health.
"Not really," Kame offered as I wilted, "His seizures are when his empathic abilities get overrun and his system can't handle the pain. He will need to learn to control the Earth element within himself to shield his mind."
"So he can get better?" Donnie gasped as he leaned forward, "Mikey can get strong again?"
"Yes," Kame agreed and I breathed a sigh of relief before frowning when the slave was jerked backwards by the steel, slave band around his neck with a choked cry of surprise and pain.
"You have bothered the Royal Princes and their bodyguard long enough, Slave," Master Hun snapped as he held Kame up by the collar until the turtle had to arch on tiptoes to be able to breathe, "Get back to your duties!"
Kame was hurled backwards and rolled a couple of times before painfully getting back to his feet and limping over to his cart. Rage rushed through me and I wanted to throttle the caravan master, but Mikey's head was resting in my lap.
"Forgive my slave," Master Hun simpered as Sensei scowled, "He oversteps his bounds often and must be reminded of his place. Are we ready to proceed?"
"Prince Michelangelo is in no condition to travel so we will camp here for the night," Master Splinter ordered as the human frowned, "Also, Kame is to travel with us in the carriage from here on out and be our personal attendant."
"What?" Hun grunted as I saw Kame look up at us with wide, frightened eyes.
"Kame is a skilled healer and his knowledge is required by the youngest Prince," Sensei continued, "I will be sure to tell the Daimyo how well your caravan cared for the wellbeing of one of the Princes. You will be greatly rewarded once we get to the City of Light."
Greed flashed in the human's eyes and he nodded and jerked his head towards Kame. I watched as the slave timidly stepped up even as he flinched expecting a blow as he limped by his master.
"Child, I want you to go and gather the supplies you will need to attend to the Prince," Master Splinter urged as he held out a leather satchel to Kame, "Prince Michelangelo has been suffering with these fits for several years and since they have grown worse, his health has been declining. You are the first healer that has been able to help him."
I watched as Kame took the bag in his hands and looked up in shock at our Sensei. Then as if this responsibility sent steel through his soul the slave straightened with a serious look on his face.
"Tell me everything," Kame began as he hooked the strap of the bag across his shoulders, "I need to know all the symptoms to know what to gather."
To be continued…
