A.N.: Popful here, starting an all-new AU fanfic! This will hopefully be the first in a new series of short stories that will each take place after the other, like a TV series. I'd like to thank Machaeus, my beta reader, without whom this would be just as awful as my previous attempt at a fanfic.
The seaside kingdom of Sandstone, situated on an island some distance west of Fragaria, past several lesser islands. It sounded like a great place to live; you could ask anyone where the best place to spend the rest of your life would be, and there'd be a good chance they'd point you there.
Sand and the sound of seagulls were hard to escape, and the sea was an ever-present entity that surrounded not only the island, but its folklore as well.
The royal family was said by some to be descended from the ruler of the ocean himself.
Presently, the royal family had two living members, the King, and his son, Prince Buwaro.
Today was like any other, the Prince was putting together a disguise, with the help of Mr. Elexion, so he could leave the castle for some fresh air. Although, the disguise was arguably redundant, since very few people even knew what the Prince looked like.
Best not take any chances, though, Buwaro was the King's only son, and damn you if you thought he'd be able to stand another, if this hypothetical second were to be anything like him.
Mr. Elexion was technically the Prince's tutor, but he took it upon himself to inspect whatever disguise the Prince had cobbled together.
At the moment, Mr. Elexion was fighting a losing battle against the urge to laugh, and was carefully thinking of a way to tell him that this disguise made him look like... Well...
There was no getting around the fact that, "with all due respect, that disguise makes you look like... A pimp."
It did. A fuzzy fedora with a feather in it, a bandana tied to cover the lower half of his face, and the tackiest fur coat ever made all spelled P.I.M.P. in Mr. Elexion's mind.
The Prince utterly failed to make this connection. "What's a pimp?"
"Someone I hope you never meet!"
And then, with the worst possible timing, a servant was knocking on the door, and before Mr. Elexion could stop him, the Prince opened.
"His Majesty has called a meeting, he has-" The servant abruptly stopped, and stared bemusedly at the Prince. "... The meeting room, he's called you there, Your Royal Majesty. And might I add, you look lovely in that." He then began coughing, and excused himself. And laughed when no one could hear him.
Hair dyed the right shade of blue? Check. Tabard free from wrinkles and stains? Check. Blood pressure at an all-time high? Check.
So many things that could go wrong, so many wrong things that Kieri could say, so many ways she could send her family's honour down the toilet.
Saying that Kieri was a bundle of nerves would be an understatement.
She was already sweating like a beast, and her stomach was trying to strangle itself. She wished she could just disappear.
And she hadn't even left her room yet.
"KIERI! Hurry up, we're going to be late! We can't afford to miss this just because you're slow!"
Ready or not, however, Kieri had to do this. "Coming, mother..."
It was Kieri's first time at a meeting, and she already hated it.
It wasn't Buwaro's first time at a meeting, yet he already hated it.
It was so scary.
It was so BORING.
Kieri was too nervous to pay attention.
Buwaro was too bored to pay attention.
Maybe she could slip away undetected.
Maybe he could fake having to use the bathroom.
She shied away from the table.
He lied his way away from the table.
Once outside the room, she let out a sigh of relief.
Once outside the room, he let out a sigh of relief.
And then, by accident, she was spotted by someone else leaving.
And then, by accident, he spotted someone else leaving.
Worse yet, it was the Prince!
Better yet, she was about his age.
She wondered whether he'd order her execution, or just incarceration.
He thought she was kinda cute, and decided to try a conversation.
"I'm so sorry, it's just that the meeting was so scary!"
"Sorry that meeting was so boring!"
The two of them sat facing the sea, a pleasantly cool breeze blowing over them, the tides touching the Prince's bare feet.
The way he sat on the sand, paying absolutely no heed whatsoever to the fact that the sand was finding its way all over his fine purple-and-red attire, he was more like a little kid than someone destined to be King.
Despite this, Kieri's heart was beating even faster than before. If she said the wrong thing in front of the Prince, it was one thing, but the possibility of saying the wrong thing TO him was unthinkable.
"So, I didn't get your name earlier. What was it, again?" asked the Prince.
Kieri almost forgot her own name, she was that nervous. "I a-am Kieri, of the, ah, S-Suizahn family, Your Royal Highness."
"And I'm Buwaro. Well, Prince Buwaro, but just call me Buwaro, since nobody else is here. I hate normality."
Doesn't he mean 'formality'? "Ah, okay then... Buwaro..."
They sat there in silence for a long time, Kieri wondering if she was already doomed the minute she left the meeting room.
Buwaro, meanwhile, was racking his brain trying to think something to talk about. Man, she looks so scared, am I scaring her somehow? C'mon, Buwaro, think! Just find a way to smoothly change the subject... "I like seashells!" he proclaimed proudly.
Kieri had to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, despite herself.
Here she was sitting by the shore, alone with the PRINCE, who was obviously having a hard time thinking of something to say.
Buwaro smiled. At least he had lightened the mood. "So, uh, wanna build a sandcastle or something?"
Finally, Kieri let herself relax. "I would love to."
As they began sculpting, Buwaro and Kieri let themselves forget their stations and everyone else's expectations of them.
If only for a moment.
As they put the finishing touches on their little castle, Buwaro had an idea. "Hey, next time I leave the castle, wanna come with me? I don't really have any friends from outside, 'cause I can't risk anyone finding out who I really am."
"I don't know if it would be allowed..."
"You're part of the Suizahn family, right? I think it's okay for a Prince to hang with nobility, and you're the Countess's daughter."
Kieri considered it for a moment. She didn't really have any friends, and she certainly enjoyed his company. Yet, he was still the Prince, and if they got into a fight, it would be the end of her.
That last thought was all it took to convince herself that she had nothing to lose. "I would love to."
Eventually, after a change of clothes on Buwaro's part, they managed to sneak back into the meeting, Buwaro making up a quick lie about getting his last outfit wet by accident (which wasn't entirely untrue, he'd gotten seawater on it), and Kieri wasn't surprised at all to find that no one noticed that she'd even left.
For the first time in her life, Kieri wasn't nervous about anything.
It was agreed that Kieri would accompany Buwaro the next day.
As it happened, today was the first day of Summer. And the first day of Summer meant a celebration, a fantastical event the whole kingdom, and even some people from outside it, would drop everything to attend.
The Sun Festival!
The Sun Festival brought with it strange folk in stranger costumes, from the grassy plains of Fragaria, the proud and cultured Dragon Islands, the serene of Verdenola, and the hedonistic of Barracalo.
Porcelain suns hung over stands offering ices of all colors (Kieri had a purple one, while Buwaro's was blue, which he couldn't finish, and offered to Kieri, who politely declined). "So... Uh, Carrie, see anything you wanna do?" Buwaro asked, not sure he got her name right.
"With all due respect, Your Roy- I mean, Buwaro, my name is pronounced Kee-AIR-ee."
"Right! Got it. Anyway, see anything you wanna do?"
"Whatever you would like is fine."
In truth, both were waiting for the other to make a decision, not being all that experienced in making them for themselves.
Buwaro, thankfully, found the Hall of Mirrors, and before long was bumping into every one. Kieri eventually got him out by holding his hand and taking note of which ones didn't have a smudge left by his nose.
Speaking of his nose, it was detecting a certain meaty, mouth-watering aroma he associated with the Festival.
Rapidly chasing the scent like a hound, Buwaro darted over to its source. A bright red-and-yellow colored stand with a cute sign of a dachshund wedged between two buns.
"Hot dog!" Buwaro exclaimed joyfully. "Kairi, you've gotta try these!"
Noticing that Kieri seemed a little uncomfortable, he added "Don't worry, they're definitely not made of dogs, I recently found that out."
"It's not that, I cannot eat meat, it makes me ill."
"You get cold when you eat meat?" Buwaro asked, puzzled.
Kieri couldn't help laugh a little at that. The Pri- No, Buwaro had a way of setting her at ease without even trying. "I mean that I get sick after eating meat. I was born with it."
"Ohhhh." Buwaro didn't catch on to a lot of things, but something in him knew that it'd be rude to eat something she couldn't right in front of her. Frankly, he felt dumb for even having brought it up. "Well, I was full on... Uh, those icey things we ate. Whatever they're called. Ooh, hey, check that out!"
Buwaro pointed to a maroon velvet tent, adorned with weird pictures of people with heads like animals. Next to it was a sign that said "FORTUNES TOLD BY Mr. Eric Mann! COME ON IN! (FIRST TIME IS not FREE!)" in fancy oil-painted letters.
Buwaro walked right in while Kieri followed hesitantly after, noticing that the tent seemed just that much bigger on the outside, although the edges of the tent were crammed with incense, bizarre glass instruments of which the two could make neither head nor tail, and more of those weird pictures.
A relaxed, dreamy voice beckoned them. "Come in, come in! Lurketh not in doorways, 'tis very rude."
The source of the voice, a dark-haired young man with a peaceful smile, and eyes that stared sleepily into infinity, sat behind a table with a crystal ball. "Aye, I know who you are, Buwaro, Kieri. Thy secrets are safe with me." He mimed a zipper motion along his lips. "First, some up-front advice. Kieri, play not the archery game, for it is rigged, and Buwaro, eat not the shiny rocks several booths down, for they are not candy. Remember that if you wish to keep those cute little fangs of yours. Last word of advice before I veer into the realm of the cryptic."
He paused, and his expression became quite serious, like it was a matter of life and death. "Buwaro, thou art to one day learn what a hickey is. Giveth one NOT to anyone."
Kieri cringed, imagining the grisly results of such an attempt.
"Now, onward to the dreadful cryptic stuff. Azaaza..." He muttered some strange words while staring expectantly at the ball. "Ah... Here it cometh... And quite a nasty little puzzle, it is. 'That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange eons, even death may die.' I know not what it means. That will be five manas!"
After the five manas were paid, Buwaro and Kieri, now rather uncomfortable, left wondering what such a scary-sounding rhyme could mean.
Buwaro saw a stand that sold costume pieces, and tried on a fierce-looking set of long walrus tusks that matched his long horns.
"Hee-hee!" He made his eyes glow red. "RAWR!"
"Eep!" The bunny ears Kieri had tried on fell off.
At the end of the day, floating lanterns were released into the sky, each representing a wish. Buwaro held his lantern close, wondering what to wish for. "Hey, uh, Kirei! What's your wish gonna be? I want us to be bestest friends for ever!"
Kieri already knew hers. "Well, I remember being told that it is bad luck to say out loud what your wish is."
Buwaro's ears drooped, clearly distressed by that thought. "Oh noooo, I don't wanna make you unlucky, Curry!"
"I'm sure it will not matter!" she tried to reassure him, also realizing how absurd this was. "And, ah, you can call me Kirei, if Kieri's too hard to pronounce."
This perked him right back up. "Okay, Kirei! Ooh, they're about to let 'em go! Ready?"
A chorus of voices all counted down from ten, and the lanterns were let go, slowly drifting off into the night sky, where the wishes they represented were said to become stars when granted.
Kieri felt an odd warm, fuzzy feeling. She guessed that it was that feeling that was supposed to accompany sentimental moments like that.
Then she realized it was actually Buwaro hugging her. Rather tightly, actually.
Buwaro contradicted just about every expectation she had of him. He was a prince who wanted to be called by his first name, who spoke awkwardly, and was sixteen years old yet acted like a sweet-but-naive little kid.
She wasn't aware that people like him even existed. Or maybe he was the only one.
Her wish, therefore, was now the same as his.
Total, impenetrable pitch blackness. A cacophony of unnatural chords
played on outlandish instruments as warped, burbling voices spoke in
strange tongues. "And we foresee masks, and drops of blood from the
ancients' masks... Restless, yes... There's a possibility set in
motion... But we cannot get into the tomb..."
A sudden, impatient knock on Buwaro's bedroom door woke him up from that weird nightmare.
He couldn't begin to describe what he'd just dreamt about, but he knew he wanted to forget about it ASAP.
The butler's voice called from behind the door. "Your Royal Highness, it's time to wake up! 'tis a beautiful morning in Sandstone (aren't they all)!"
Normally, Buwaro would've complained that he was still sleepy, but after a dream like that, Buwaro wanted to stay awake as long as he could.
Thus, he went through his morning routine as quickly as possible, and hopped down the stairs, hoping that he might actually catch his daddy eating.
To his disappointment, however, the dining room table, which seemed way too long, was empty as always.
Buwaro was used to eating by himself, but he still wanted to actually talk candidly with his own daddy.
Anyone else would've been shocked at the idea of not even knowing their father's name, but it was normal to Buwaro.
Of course, daddy had a kingdom to run, so he barely had time to do much else, let alone attend to trivial matters like talking about a bad dream with his idiot son over breakfast.
Thus, as always, Buwaro ate alone.
This morning's breakfast happened to be... Some kind of crab, Buwaro guessed. Nobody ever really told him what he was actually eating, beyond the servants calling it some foreign name that Buwaro could neither pronounce nor spell.
After getting dressed, he decided to ask where he could find...
Kieri's house looked pretty fancy from the outside, Buwaro noted.
It wasn't even close to the castle in terms of fanciness, but it definitely stood out, with a small birdbath fountain on the huge lawn, the bright blue Suizahn family crest decorating the porch roof, and two fearsome angel statues with swords crossed above the door, forever dueling.
Buwaro knocked on the door, avoiding contact with the unblinking marble eyes of the statues.
Opening the door was a tall, intimidating angel woman, who looked like a scary grown-up version of Kieri. She knelt before him. "Your Royal Highness! What brings you here to our humble residence?"
Buwaro panicked, gesturing for her to get back up. "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I'm in disguise, I've gotta be discreep!" He looked around, thankfully no one had heard that. "Anyway, is, uh, Kiree busy? I wanted to hang out with her today."
Countess Suizahn had a hard time comprehending this. The Prince, of all people, had taken an interest in her only remaining child? She didn't know whether to be delighted or terrified for Kieri. On one hand, the Prince was fairly friendly and childlike, he wouldn't do anything to her, would he? Yet... This was Kieri, who could easily do or say the wrong thing, and at best it would be an embarrassment, and at worst... No, she didn't want to picture it. Kieri was all she had left.
Buwaro was worried he'd scared her somehow. "Uh, ma'am, are you okay?"
The Countess mentally slapped herself for letting her mind wander while the Prince was standing right before her. "Ah, a thousand pardons, she is not busy! KIERI! SOMEONE'S HERE FOR YOU!"
Kieri came running, quickly yet timidly (if such a thing was possible), to the door. "Yes?" She gasped the second she saw Buwaro. "Buw- Ah, your Roy-"
"I'm in disguise, Carrie! Just call me Buwaro!"
They were even on a first-name basis, the Countess noted. Again, that feeling of indecision between two conflicting emotions surfaced. So many possible scenarios played out in her mind, some almost ending happily. In the end, however, it was all out of her hands.
So, she let the two have their day together, and began praying that her daughter would come home without incident.
The Prince was the last person Kieri would've expected to be friends with.
A picnic alone by the shore with the Prince, it was a scene right out of a daydream, yet it was far from ideal.
Truthfully, she was glad that the Prince wasn't what she'd expected.
He was awkward, he used the wrong words because they sounded similar to the ones he meant, he got peanut butter and jam all over himself, and looked positively monstrous with cherry pie all over his face. And he'd often forget to share, without meaning to.
Yet, all this actually made it easier for her. He wasn't some paragon to which men ought to be held up, he was every bit as real and flawed as she was.
Their situations weren't really that dissimilar, either. Both of them were the sole heirs of a highly important title, and neither had any idea how they were going to fit said title.
Buwaro was going to be King? This boy, who was now offering the one slice of pie he'd remembered to leave behind (which was clearly a big gesture for him), was going to rule this kingdom?
Had he not been there at the meeting, Kieri would've never believed this really was the Prince!
"Hey, uh, Kairi, what do you do for fun? I like collecting seashells and reading old books." He then leaned in really, really close, eyes shifting to make sure that no one else was listening. "Also," he whispered, "I like exploring places I'm not supposed to go."
"I-is that so?" Kieri began to wonder where this was going...
He sat back down. "Yeah! There's this really neat jungle not too far from here, it's got all these weird bugs and stuff!" he answered enthusiastically. "I once found a whole bunch of sparkly coloured rocks in a cave, wanna see 'em?"
Kieri let out a relieved sigh. She needed to stop worrying. If he had wanted to do something... inappropriate, then he would've already done it by then.
They got up, and Buwaro, not really even bothering to wipe his face, briskly led the way, happily skipping over whatever obstacles he wasn't tripping over.
No matter how many times he tripped, he got right back up like it was nothing, not even dusting himself off.
Before long, the were at the jungle's entrance. As they stepped inside, the sun's rays gave way to the cool shadows cast by the thick, luscious vegetation that coated the area in beautiful, healthy hues of green. Green leaves of all shapes, green moss all over the trees, all sheltered by a huge green canopy.
Despite his rather weak, scrawny appearance, and the royal purple of his fur contrasting heavily against all the aforementioned green, Buwaro truly looked like he was in his element here. "The neat thing about this place is, I keep finding new stuff here all the time." He meekly added "Usually by falling.", then laughed, hand rubbing the back of his neck.
"Does anyone know you do this?"
"I only tell my friends about this place, actually!"
"Is that so? How many do you have?"
Buwaro looked away embarrassedly. "One."
That statement hit Kieri right in the heart. Especially since it fit her situation to a tee. "Your secret is safe with me."
As they wandered the place, passing by strange, colourful fungi, and exotic plants that looked like nothing Kieri had ever seen before, she realized just how different she was feeling from when she'd first met him.
For what must have been the first time she could remember, she finally felt like completely happy, her world of anxieties seemed so small and far away, like a bad dream.
For this, this moment of bliss, Kieri was eternally grateful to him.
"Tag, you're it!" Buwaro quickly poked Kieri and ran. Kieri happily chased after him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Though they were both fifteen years old, they were soon running around like little kids, turning the jungle into their own world, just for the two of them.
Kieri found herself doing things that, in any other context, would've been absurd for her, like spontaneously deciding to play-duel using branches.
It was childish, and inappropriate for her age, but here, alone with him, it just felt... Right, somehow. Everything and anything was allowed, since no-one else was there to stop them.
As Pierre the Awesome (Buwaro) was being cornered by Oktavia the Daring (Kieri), the ground gave way beneath the former, and the latter just barely managed to grab his hand before he fell.
Buwaro's brush with actual danger broke the spell he had cast over the jungle, and Kieri slowly pulled him up.
After catching her breath, Kieri finally spoke. "Are you alright?" Buwaro sighed with relief. "Yeah, I'm fine." He laughed nervously.
Looking back down where Buwaro almost fell, it turned out to be a relatively short fall, which likely would've just bruised him, but Kieri suspected that Buwaro either had never been bruised, or he would cry if he was, so the principle still held up somewhat.
As it turned out, the hole was apparently the entrance to a cave of some kind, which Buwaro was eager to explore, but Kieri talked him into saving that for another day.
So, Buwaro marked a nearby tree with an arrow pointing to the spot, and, after dusting themselves off and putting some sand in appropriate places on their clothes to look like they'd just been walking along the shore, they began to head home.
At the point where they'd part, Buwaro gave Kieri an unexpected hug. A really tight one, too. He apparently didn't know his own strength. "Bye, Kiri! This has been the best day EVER!"
The Countess was relieved beyond words when her daughter came home unmolested.
What shocked her was how happy Kieri was. Seeing her daughter happy for once was a truly precious thing, and she barely said a word, but did her best to smile and avoid spoiling this miracle.
That night, she included a blessing for the Prince in her prayers to the Trinity.
A black-furred earth demon with a long white mane walked calmly into the throne room. Even with the size-reducing harness activated, his presence was hard to ignore. He knelt before the King. "It's a pleasure to serve Your Majesty." he said with a wide grin, meaning every word of it.
"I'll look over the nasty implications of that statement." the King said. "You're already aware of the rumours involving the Royal Reaper, aren't you?"
The earth demon already liked where this conversation was going. "You mean the serial killer who targets rich people and royals?" He love giving evil people what they deserved. He couldn't stand when innocent people suffered, so it was quite pleasurable for him to be karma's enforcer.
"The very same. I believe he may be targeting this island next. We haven't had a war in years, and you are the General I trust the most, so I believe you should lead the search for him."
The General's grin widened. "So in other words, I've gotta hunt down an infamous serial killer and do him in before he can do any damage?"
The King nodded. "Exactly, General Iratu."
"This should be quite the hunt!" General Iratu laughed excitedly.
"I like it!"
The Royal Reaper had been denied every opportunity to be a decent person.
He knew, deep down, he was capable of heroics! He could probably save the day, were he given the chance! If people wouldn't have made him so angry, if they hadn't treated him like yesterday's oatmeal, he wouldn't be doing this! But no, other people got those chances, and THEY got the star treatment.
What did the world have against him? HE had never done anything to the world, yet it had given him an abusive horse for a mother, a life of poverty, and a dag-nabbed No-Cursing Curse to add insult to injury, all while these bloated pigs in high places wallowed in their decadent luxury while telling DECENT PEOPLE what to do, even as they starved to death!
Life had given him lemons, and now he was gonna make life take those lemons back! What the halibut was he gonna do with these?! Did they know he was?!
He was slaughtering these fat pigs pretending to be people! And the Sandstone Royalty were next in line!
He was making the world rue the day it decided to give AZURAI lemons!
It's just three syllables! Kee-AIR-ee! Why can't I just say her name? Is it really that hard?! C'mon, one more try! "Kee... Air... Eee! Keeairee! Kieri!" Buwaro pumped his fist into the air triumphantly. "Yeah! Wait 'til Kieri hears me now!"
"Wonderful, now will you please stop doing that and eat, already?" Buwaro's dad asked, having put up with Buwaro butchering that girl's
name all throughout breakfast.
Ever since the day Buwaro met her, he never shut up about her. EVER. It was like he'd found himself a lover... Wait, that was exactly it, wasn't it?
Great. The one girl his son liked was an angel. The one species with which a demon can't reproduce. So much for the boy having an heir...
Well, it was likely just puppy-love, Buwaro's father thought. It was best to just let it play out and hope he later married a demon girl.
"I take it you'll be seeing her often, then?"
"Yeah! Wait'll she hears me-"
"Wonderful! Now please, shut up and eat."
Azurai wasn't great at gathering information. "But what the scrambled eggs does he LOOK LIKE?!" Azurai was violently shaking the poor random jakkai he'd been fruitlessly interrogating for several minutes.
"I-I-I-I d-d-o-o-o-n't kn-o-o-o-w!" The jakkai replied. It just wasn't this guy's day. First he'd been swindled into buying a phony bridge deed, then he was suddenly accosted by this violent man with a bizarre vocabulary. "No commoner knows what the Prince looks like, or what his name is!"
"And there's nobody you think could be him?! ANYBODY AT ALL!"
"A... Purple demon, there are a lot of purple demons lately around here!"
"Oh, well that's so HELPFUL!" Azurai growled as he extended his claws, but then a policeman just happened to notice, and Azurai had to flee, dropping the stranger right on his butt.
Which triggered an old tail injury that never fully healed. It just wasn't that poor stranger's day. But he was luckier than he knew.
Sadly, the same couldn't be said for the policeman.
It didn't take very long for Kieri's mother to relapse into her old ways.
Namely, commanding and paranoid. "Kieri, this is the last time I'm asking you, tell me whether he did anything to you!"
Kieri didn't look her in the eyes. "He didn't! I-I'm fine!"
She grabbed Kieri by the shoulders "Then why won't you look at me?! Tell me the truth!"
Kieri shrank inside her clothes like a frightened turtle.
"... I'm sorry, Kieri. You know I just... You can't trust anyone, you know that. I just don't want anything to happen to you!"
A long, suffocating silence took over the room.
"It's time for archery practice, Kieri. I'll have the servants ready the targets." She took a deep breath, and wondered whether things would be different if her husband and Kazai were both alive. Something in her just... Broke, when they died.
Everyone dear to the Countess had died, except Kieri. Her parents had died in a house fire, and her husband and Kazai had been murdered. She was a witness to both, and relived those memories every night.
She was not going to lose Kieri.
It didn't matter whether Kieri liked her, she told herself. As long as Kieri was alive and unharmed, the Countess had a reason to live.
Iratu looked at the policeman's body, and couldn't help chuckling.
The killer was clearly an amateur. He'd left the body right there, easily recognized. The killer had even left his handprint all over the man's uniform.
It was funny. How could an idiot like that possibly be the Royal Reaper? Yet, signs pointed to the killer being the one and the same.
The witness confirmed that the guy was looking for the Prince.
Again, Iratu chuckled. "THIS is the work of the 'Royal Reaper' everyone's talkin' about? This ought'a be a piece of cake." Iratu got on all fours and began tracking the killer's scent while also following whatever footprints he could find.
Which led him to the ocean. "Huh, underestimated him. Well, he can't have gone far." Iratu grinned. "This guy must think he's so clever. Well, that'll just make it more fun for me, then! I like it!" Iratu laughed loudly in delight.
The next weekend, Buwaro had gotten his disguise together, but when he tried to leave the castle, a guard stopped him. "Forgive me, Your Royal Highness, but His Royal Majesty wishes to have a word with you."
Following the guard to the meeting room, Buwaro noticed that his dad was standing beside a huge black earth demon guy with a look in his eyes that, although Buwaro didn't know what it meant, made him uncomfortable.
"Son," Buwaro's dad began, "there's an assassin on the loose, and he's after you. You're NOT to leave the castle alone. This man will accompany you, you're to stay by him at ALL times."
The huge guy grinned, looking down at Buwaro. "S'up, mini-man? I'm Iratu, glad to meet'cha!" He offered his claws to shake.
If Buwaro's dad had any objection to Iratu's informal tone, he didn't show it.
"C'mon, boy, don't leave me hangin'! I don't bite... Often!" the big man laughed.
"You're scary." Buwaro stated bluntly.
At this, Iratu burst into incredibly loud laughter. "You cut right to the quick there, didn't ya? I like you!" He rubbed the top of Buwaro's head vigourously, while Buwaro wondered why his dad was letting this guy get away with it.
"Try not to damage my only heir, he's the reason you're here."
"Hey, don't you worry, Your Majesty, he's safe with me!" Iratu pulled Buwaro close to him, grinning widely. "I'll be like the big brother he never had!"
Buwaro wasn't sure what to think of this guy. As they'd been walking down the path that led to Kieri's house, Iratu had been pretty nice to him, but he was also kinda scary.
A lot of other people would've made small talk, like pointing out what a lovely day it was, the way the sun's light seemed somehow more golden when it was filtered through the trees that lined the path, or commenting on the birds that sang beautifully, or maybe just enjoying the refreshingly cool breeze. Iratu, however, was happily recounting ghastly stories from his years in the Royal Army. ". . . and after that, the guy was reduced to a blood-and-guts pancake! Heh, good times..."
When they finally reached the estate, Buwaro knocked on the door, while Iratu let out an impressed whistle. "Wow, your girlfriend's gotta be one classy lady."
Buwaro stopped knocking, and stared at him. "How'd you know she was a girl?"
"'cause you just told me, boy!" He laughed, like he'd just made a joke.
Buwaro was confused. He knew because I was about to tell him? I don't get it. Before he could ask what Iratu meant, the door opened, and the Countess began kneeling before both Buwaro and Iratu stopped her.
She called Kieri outside, and Kieri eagerly ran to the door, and was about to say "Hello!", but it came out as more of an "Eep!" when she saw Iratu.
Buwaro immediately hugged Kieri. "Guess what, Kieri! I finally figured out how to say your name! Wanna hear?"
"Ah... S-sure!"
"Okay, then! KIERI! See, I did it!"
"T-that's wonderful. Ah... Why is that... That man here?" Kieri asked, looking warily at Iratu.
Iratu was happy to explain. "Well, y'see, there's this guy who's got a bone to pick with your boyfriend here, so I've gotta be his bodyguard!"
Outwardly, the Countess was composed, but inwardly, she was panicking. An assassin is after the Prince, with whom my daughter is about to leave the house?!
Sensing her mother's panic before it could surface, she immediately added "I know how to use weapons, if anything were to happen!"
The Countess still internally debated whether it would be a worse idea to say "No!" to the Prince, or let her accompany him.
Either choice could've led to disaster, so she finally decided that it'd be better to let her go with them.
They'd be with the fearsome General Iratu, who she knew could protect them if necessary, and as Kieri had said, she could use a sword well enough.
Thus, she let her go with them.
"So, what do you kids like t'do for fun?" Iratu asked.
Neither Buwaro nor Kieri spoke a word.
Buwaro's idea of fun was either playing childish games like he had with Kieri last weekend, and just to wander around and look for something to do. He was a little too embarrassed to reveal the former. "Well... I guess I just look for something to do!"
Kieri would've normally gone with what Buwaro was doing. "Ah... So do I..."
Neither was sure whether they wanted to know what Iratu's idea of fun was.
Iratu, meanwhile, was trying to figure out what he liked that the kids would enjoy. Hunting? Nah, neither kid looks like they'd hurt a fly. Can't really wrestle with 'em, I'd break 'em in half. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me... C'mon, Iratu, improvise! "Well, how 'bout a..." A candle lit in his head. "Roarin' contest! You go first, mini-man!"
Buwaro inhaled deeply, and tried to let out a ferocious roar.
What actually happened, however, was that he made some weird kind of noise like a strangled chicken while looking like a bug had crawled up his nose.
"You next, sweet-cheeks!"
Kieri only managed to make a long squeak.
Iratu hid his face behind his right forearm claws. "What kinda lousy performance was that?! Lemme show you how it's done!"
What came out of Iratu's maw could only be described as the kind of primal sound that invoked the sinister day when demons had first been crafted by their dark master, and were ravening for delight.
A strong gust of wind followed the sound, and Kieri's mother was suddenly standing before them, fire in her eyes, sword at the ready, wings fully spread. "WHERE IS IT?!" she shrieked.
"Where's what?" Iratu asked.
"The monster whence that roar came!"
"Uh... That'd be me, we were having a roaring contest. Was I that loud?" Iratu was honestly frightened at how fierce she looked. This was a mother he did NOT want to mess with.
"How... D-did you even get here that fast?" Kieri asked.
"Don't underestimate your mother, Kieri." The Countess said.
Iratu had been struggling for some time to think of something to do.
Weight lifting was a bust, since Iratu would've won no matter what. As was racing, for the same reason. Couldn't really even have them ride him, they'd said they needed a saddle after trying.
Finally, unable to think of anything that they'd like, he asked "Well, what were you kids doin' last time?"
Buwaro wasn't sure whether to tell him. Was Iratu really their friend?
No, he was a grown-up. They'd probably both get in trouble for playing in the jungle if this guy found out. "We went to the beach!" Which was true.
Iratu took note of how long it took for Buwaro's answer to come out. "Really? So, what'd you do?"
"We had a picnic." Which was true, they'd done that. "And built sandcastles!" They had also done that, but was what they'd done when they first met, not on that day. "And we went swimming!" That was kinda true, he'd intentionally gotten his clothes wet that day.
Iratu was a bit surprised by how simple his description of that day made it sound, so far. "And that was it?"
"Yep!" Outright LIES.
Iratu decided to try his favourite gambit on Buwaro again. "Oh, yeah, right! C'mon, you and I both know you went somewhere you weren't supposed to, and fooled around with her!"
Sure enough, it paid off. "Who told you?!"
"YOU just did, boy!" Iratu loved when that trick worked.
"But how did you know before I told you?"
Iratu grinned. "I have my ways." If this kid couldn't figure it out, it'd be better not to tell him.
Kieri, meanwhile, knew she had to explain it to him, or it would drive him crazy. "He didn't know, but he thought you might have, so he acted like he did to see if you'd admit it."
"Hey, that's mean!" Buwaro protested.
Iratu didn't care, it had worked. "Well, where were you, really? I promise I won't tell a soul!"
"I don't trust you." Buwaro stated with that same bluntness from before.
Iratu shrugged. "Fine, then! I won't tell anyone you went somewhere forbidden, even if you don't tell me where. I just thought it'd be fun to see."
He sighed, making an effort to sound especially bummed-out. "Oh well, I've had people keep secrets from me before. It's too bad, I have to go with you wherever you go, so I guess you'll have to say bye-bye to that place."
Iratu waited a few seconds for a response. When nothing came out of either kid, he said "Well, let's have that picnic, then! Lead the way!"
Somehow, the picnic wasn't quite as enjoyable as last time.
Iratu wasn't saying or doing anything that made the kids uncomfortable, his presence alone was enough.
Buwaro was actually a bit self-conscious about how he ate, while Kieri couldn't quite relax.
Iratu knew he'd messed up. He needed the Prince to trust him, and he'd quickly lost said trust. "I'm... Sorry about tricking you like that."
Buwaro didn't look up from the sandwich he was eating. "Apology accepted. I still don't trust you."
Iratu no longer found that funny. "Well, your dad trusts me."
"Why?"
"I dunno." Iratu had to be honest about that. "He's more concerned about your physical safety than whether you like or trust me. I'm your bodyguard, regardless of whether I'm your friend, so I just thought I'd try to make you more comfortable around me." Iratu chuckled mirthlessly. "Well, I sure messed that up. Truth be told, I think we got off on the wrong foot, can we start over and promise to be completely honest with each other from now on?"
Buwaro hesitated, then decided he might as well. "Alright. I'm Buwaro, nice to meet you!"
"I-I'm Kieri. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Iratu, how do you do?"
"I'm okay, I guess!" Buwaro said awkwardly yet gladly.
Iratu then clicked his claws together. "Well, since we're all going to try trusting each other, how about I start by confessing a few things to you two? That way, I'll have a reason to keep whatever secrets you two might confide in me."
"Alright." Buwaro figured that was fair enough.
Iratu took a deep breath. "Hmm... Where to start...? Well, I guess I should say outright that I ain't that great at making actual friends. I'm usually good at getting people to do what I want, but when it comes down to it, I'm terrible at getting close to people. Last time I tried, I was 17, back when I'd just joined the army. Made friends with one guy, knew him for a month before someone ran him through. He wasn't the first person close to me to have died when I was young, and I guess that guy was the last straw."
Iratu sighed. He felt uneasy about admitting all that, though it was all true. "So, who's next?"
Buwaro was on the verge of tears just from hearing that little bit. He concluded that war was officially the worst thing ever, and immediately hugged Iratu. "That's the saddest thing EVER!" Iratu's fur was surprisingly soft and warm, considering how tough the rest of him was. "... Hey, Iratu?"
"Yeah, kid?"
"Your harness smells funny."
Iratu couldn't help snickering at this. This kid sure had a way with being blunt, though he probably didn't mean to. "Yeah, well, I never, ever take it off."
"Never?"
"Ever. I sleep with it on, I shower with it on, I do EVERYTHING with it on. You just never know who's out to get'cha! ... Is my fur really that soft, or are you just clingy?" Buwaro was still cuddled up to him in the most adorable way Iratu had ever seen.
"I dunno!"
Iratu wondered whether this was what having a kitten rubbing against you was like. "Heh, well, this is my first time being cuddled, and it's kinda nice. Anyhow, I've said plenty so far, anyone else wanna add something, or should we stop for now? You're under no obligation, after all."
"Well," Buwaro began, "the whole world confuses me. There are a lot of rules that don't make any sense. I'm always doing something wrong, and nobody ever tells me what. I feel stupid every time someone says stuff that I think means one thing, but they really mean something else, and they act like I should've known. It's like everyone's speaking a secret language using the same words as me. And sometimes it's a language without any words. I'm tired of being left out."
Kieri fidgeted a bit. "Well... I'm... I don't like to talk about it."
Iratu looked a little concerned, but then shrugged. "Alright, then. I won't make you do or say anything you don't wanna. Speaking of doing things, what d'you two wanna do now? ... And there's really no rush to get off me, boy."
Buwaro considered whether to take him to the jungle, but some part of him knew that Kieri wouldn't like it. Buwaro wanted to trust Iratu, but was afraid to.
Iratu could sense this, but didn't show it. He was making excellent progress, just the same.
Azurai was making excellent progress. Rumours had been spreading of purple people suddenly arriving on the island without being seen on a boat, then vanishing without a trace the next day.
The famous General Iratu had also been seen accompanying two kids to the town square.
One of these kids was a purple demon boy.
A.N.: Bit of a long first chapter, but I honestly didn't know where to split it into separate chapters. I'll get back to writing this when Mach is finished moving into his new home, so for now, tell me what you guys think of it so far.