The Dullahan Guardian Chapter 2:
Often answers don't appear quite so early on, though these answers help to foreshadow later plots. Old friends and enemies will return, interacting with the citizens of Ikebukuro in their own unique ways, eventually leading up to the ending plot, which will remain enshrouded in secret, covered up by Kaz's adventures in Ikebukuro.
About a block away from their destination, Celty and Kaz stopped . Kaz returning to human form and Celty parking her bike in a back alley.
"Follow me" Rang of Celty's cell.
"Lead on" Said Kaz following her to the restaurant Celty had picked: Russia Sushi.
Aside from a few unmemorable faces the abnormally tall and well-built dark skinned chef behind the counter stood out.
"Remind me not to piss him off" Said Kaz.
"Actually, Simon's a pretty good guy. He doesn't raise a hand against those who don't deserve it. Now if you see a skinny, blond man, about Simon's height, wearing a formal vest and sunglasses, that's Shizuo Hiewajima. He'll kill you for looking at him wrong. He's scary strong when angry. He throws trucks and mailboxes. I think he even threw a billboard once, and he likes to rip lampposts out of the ground as a weapon" Said Celty's phone.
"Enough Said. I'll order, you pay" Said Kaz.
"Why me?" Rang off Celty, who wasn't impressed.
"I have no Yen. Only Rubles. I came from Russia" Said Kaz.
"I will accept Rubles. This is Russia Sushi after all" Spoke Simon from behind the counter.
"Take 'em then. I don't have much left" Said Kaz dropping a the small bag with the remainder of his money.
"And what would you like?" Asked Simon with a smile, drawing a pair of cleavers from behind the counter.
"Самая большая вещь Вы добрались (The Biggest Thing You Got)" Spoke Kaz in perfect Russian.
"Вы получили это друг (You Got It Friend)" Said Simon with another smile.
"Is the back open?" Asked Celty.
"Yes, you may proceed" Said Simon.
"Спасибо (Thank You)" Said Kaz as he followed Celty to the back, behind the shade.
Once they had set up in the back Celty asked: "Now. What are you and what do you want?"
With eyes closed, Kaz collected his thoughts and began to recall his tale: "I'll start from the beginning. The year was 801 A.D. A forest in central France: A 17 year old boy nemed Samuel Remus was attacked by wolves. A Dullahan named Alexia save him, saying it wasn't his time to die, and that she would see him when his day came. Samuel tried to talk to the woman, but she left quickly.
Having witnessed her dark powers and lack of head, he began to study old legends and realized, given the facts: She was a Dullahan. Following rumors and whispers, Remus tried to track her down. He was attacked on the road by bandits. The Dullahan, Alexia killed them and saved Remus. She said nothing.
Remus used the bounty money, from the bandits, to hire three mercenaries to aid him in tracking down Alexia. They were later attacked by a few drunken soldiers. Remus and his three mercenaries were beaten. The soldiers were about to gut Remus, when Alexia rescued him again, slicing up the soldiers.
This time she took him away from his friends and removed the bag from her back. Her head was pulled out and with it she spoke: "My name is Alexia. I am a Dullahan. I don't know why I am so inclined to provide you with so much aid. Why do you seek me with such zeal? Do you wish to lead yourself to an early grave?"
Remus replied back: "When you first aided me, you did not allow me to thank or speak with you. I resolved to ask you this: Please, MAKE ME A DULLAHAN!"
Hearing his request Alexia Said: "Go home," Before replacing her head, and taking her leave, very quickly.
Remus resolved to find her once again and convince her. 3 days later, the commander and father of the leader of the group of drunken soldiers Alexia has sliced up also attacked Remus. Alexia saved him once again, much to her own irriatation.
She took him away again and Asked: "What is your reason for wanting to be a Dullahan? Immortality"
"I want…to…help you. All the aid you've given me. I owe you my services" Returned Remus
"I'm flattered…but, no. Humans aren't meant to wield our power. They would misuse it" Snapped back Alexia.
"I seek…not to hurt, bot to help. You, other Dullahan, and those humans who need it" Finished Remus.
Surprised by the human's response, Alexia brought Remus to her current abode. After many arguments and stipulations, Alexia agreed to fill a jar with dark matter, and sever the bond it held to her soul. She also taught him the ancient and taboo ritual for infusing said matter into a human. The matter then breaks down the human's organic matter, changing it into pure dark matter. With time a human gains control over the matter and they can form it into their human form.
Within 2 days Remus had full control. It takes most 6 months regain human form, let alone obtain full control. Such ability normally takes 20 YEARS to achieve! But, continuing. He was the first dark matter wielding 'Guardian' and his donor was the first 'Dark Patron'. Remus pledged to be Alexia's loyal servant and enforcer of her will. At first he was the only 'Guardian' and she the only 'Dark Patron'.
Once however, when 3 separate Dullahan were in need of aid, was only able to aid 2 of them, before the 3rd was killed. I don't know the details of containing, torturing, and killing Dullahan, but all 3 are highly possible."
"Torturing and killing Dullahan? That can't be possible" Keyed Celty, breaking up the scene that was playing within Kaz's head.
"It is. Several Dullahan. I knew, died from extended periods of torture. Now continuing…Remus decided he needed help. He became the first 'Dark Patron', who started a 'Guardian' instead of a full-fledged Dullahan. He created the second 'Guardian' from his brother, Alexander Remus. Eventually, after years of aiding Samuel and Alexia, Alexander saw Alexia send off the soul of his love from life. He was distraught. It wasn't until Samuel killed a corrupt military officer, who was Alexander's closest friend and Alexia killed several French nobles loyal to said officer, though that he became the Dullahan killer he's known as now.
He tried to kill Alexia, and was beaten. He fought and lost to his brother as well. On all 4's, Alexander was trying to cat chis breath. Samuel's left hand fell onto his brother's shoulder, raising him to a kneeling position, with his eyes burning directly into Alexander's. He covered his right hand in hardened dark matter and stabbed it dead center into his chest saying, "You have betrayed me. My most trusted friend, you…are…a traitor"
"And you…dear brother…are a vigilante! You kill because you disagree!" Yelled Alexander Back.
"I kill the corrupt and malicious. The murderous and sadistic…For your betrayal, brother, you will never be whole again" Returned Samuel as he ripped out Alexander's 'Black Crystal'.
This crystal, holds a Guardian's consciousness. Samuel snapped his brother's crystal, keeping half within himself, and splintering Alexander's mind. Alexia tried to convince him that no other human should be allowed to wield these dark powers. Samuel still claimed that there were those who, like him, could wield this power, killing those who were corrupt and vicious, or threatened their allies: the Dullahan.
He tried 5 more times to create a new guardian, but the 2 men and 3 women all died in the process. Then came the 6th try:
Late in the 10th century a Japanes man named Kishokon Kohtoma arrived in France, after a long and dangerous journed to excape and honor debt in his native land. This man didn't particularly appear Japanes. His skin was too light, his hair to bright, but his dark blue, tattoos, running from his face and limbs converging at the center of his chest and back appeared more eastern.
Kishokon eventually met, courted, and married a French woman. This woman, Maria Gasteaux, took Kishokon's surname of Kohtoma, and accepted the name he often referred to her as: "Kira. So she became Kira Kohtoma.
In 1104 A.D. their first child was born. Kazuhira Kohtoma. Then came his sister Kamira in 1105. She was as tomboy, so they got along well enough. When the village festivles came to there was an old kendo tournament that and old friend of Kishokon's would bring year after year. Kamira and Kaz would compete together, and often, Kamira won. Then in 1107 and 1112 his two brothers were born. They drove Kaz's nerves as far as they could and then some, but they were still family.
On Kaz's 16th birthday he was given, from his father, a katana with an onyx blade. For most of a year, Kaz was the village's only swordsman, cutting down anything, be it wolf or bandit, that threatened his village. But then, on July 24th 1120, things changed.
Kaz arrives from a hunting trip to find his village in flames, dozens of villagers lying dead and a single man in a black robe, overlooking the scene.
The word "Fiend" escaped his lips as he drew his onyx blade out a small portion from its sapphire colored home. He charged, drawing his blade, slashing through a dark matter mass, and raching the man, who raised more dark matter in defense. In vain Kaz slashed on. When he finally reached the man and managed to stab his blade through, what should have been his heart, the man wasn't fazed. He gripped the sword, pulling it in deeper than it already was. Then, a dark wall engulfed him, removing both of Kaz's hands, and growing to throw him back.
He landed at the feet of a man, who resembled the killer, but older. As Kaz growled at him, the man calmly responded: "Do you want to defend you're village?"
"Yes" Kaz replied.
"Are you willing to die? Give it all?" Asked the Elder man.
"Yes" Responded Kaz without a single thought.
"Are you sure? I can grant you great power, but you will die. If your will is strong, and your spirit stronger, you may survive long enough to rebuke him. Then you will die. If you live, you will be a creature beyond your wildest beliefs" Lectured the man.
"DO IT!" Yelled Kaz as angrily as if he would kill the man if he didn't.
Without another word, the elder man created a dark mass, like what the younger wielded, and he placed his hand over Kaz's heart and forced the material through his chest into his heart. The dark matter pured into every capillary, artery, and tendon, turning organic matter into liquid dark matter. Soon, Kaz fell apart, into a puddle of liquid dark matter. The elder man did nothing, but stared sorrowfully then gripped the youth's empty sheathe, determined to bury it with its owner.
Suddenly however, a hand shot from the dark matter puddle, gripping the man's wrist. The matter began to reform and harden until it had become, Kazuhira Kohtoma once more. But,…his clothes, didn't reform, so the elder man put a hand on his shoulder, forming a set of clothes, weaved from dark matter: Samurai Hakama wide legged pants, a long sleeved black training shirt, black fingerless gloves, and a black scarf and hood.
Kaz retrieved his sheathe, and rushed the younger murderous man. Dark matter of his own blocked the murderer's dark matter, as Kaz reached his target. He finally gripped his blade, which proceeded to act as the medium for his power, firing massive spikes of dark matter through the man's chest. The man fell to his knees, and with a single quick cleave, Kaz beheaded him. The body reverted to dark matter and slinked away in defeat, as Kaz sheathed his blade.
He then turned to ask the elder man: "What happened to dying?"
"Come with me" Was the elder man's response.
Kaz tried to oblige, though when he tried to take his first shaky steep, he fell forward. A dark matter tentacle shot from the elder man, spreading out across Kaz's shoulder to keep him up. His body reverted to liquid dark matter, and traveled across the path left by the tentacle. He hardened back to human form and caught Kaz, placing his unconscious apprentice on his shoulder.
That day Kazuhira Kohtoma became the 3rd guardian. Through experimentation with rats and other creatures, the process of becoming a guardian was improved, leading to more successful guardians. To this day, about 50 survive, each with strength on par of that of a Dullahan.
So there's your answer. The younger man who razed the village was Alexander Remus. The elder Samuel Remus, who lead the admittedly cult-like organization that creates and supports the guardians: The Followers of The Dullahan. I am the third guardian: Kazuhira Kohtoma. I'm here to help you get back your head" Finished Kaz.
"Because it's your job?" Asked Celty's cell.
"Because I help Dullahn who need it. It's not my job anymore. I left the followers centuries ago. Though we have been talking since Samuel Remus' death"
"Guardians can die then?" Inquired Celty.
"Guardian have a power lifespan of 1000 years after their original date of obtaining their power. My time is up in about 8 years. Then I become human again and live and die naturally. When my powers leave me, I'm gonna' leave my home in Bordeaux, France and retire to Monte Carlo. The Followers have agreed to pay me the equivalent of about 1,000,000 American Dollars and about 10,000 a year, in retirement. Even in the nice as hell beach house they're gonna' give me, I could live happily off that. I don't have to help anyone else. I can leave the Dullahan to fend for themselves and still get my money and home. I'm choosing to help. So…will you accept my help?" Asked Kaz.
After mulling over the facts, Celty typed her response: "Yes"
A small silver necklace formed through his palm. His expression hardened as he laid it on the table and slit it towards her, saying: "Then put this on. This necklace claims you as the Dullahan I'm aiding and begins the master-servant contract of Dullahan to Guardian. I am little more than a humble servant to the Dullahan, though you must accept my aid"
"Alright" Keyed Celty as she grabbed the necklace and strapped it around her neck. As she did, Kaz crossed his arms, and dark matter poured from in his coat, flying directly at the center of Celty's chest and burrowing it's way in.
"It is done…m' lady" Spoke Kaz, almost scarily.
"M'lady?" Inquired Celty curiously.
"It's more respectful than Dullahan bitch isn't it? I'm trying to show proper respect" Said Kaz a little attitude.
"You cannot call me Dullahan bitch, but you can call me Celty. I need help, but not a servant" Returned Celty, with as much attitude as a cell phone could convey.
"Alright then…Celty" Said Kaz slowly.
"Well, not that that's settled, what was the matter shot for?" Asked Celty with a little honest curiosity.
"With energy burrowed into you, I can kill you should I need to. I listen to your orders within reason, though there are some orders I don't deem as necessary to follow. I use that to make sure you don't force atrocities onto me. I will remove it when I fully trust you. Now…let's eat" Finished Kaz as a large triple wide tray of sushi was brought in.
Author's Note: Another short chapter, but it succeeded in explaining Kaz's ability and reason for wanting to aid Celty, which is the whole point of his tale. Please R&R!