Hello! Sorry this one is a little later. It's been nice outside, I've had writer's block, I have an excuse list ready. Haha, sorry, again. I know I don't have a routine exactly set but it's lately been around a week so. Idk. Annie's rambling again! We're almost at the end of our adventure! Sorry for you, for me, I have a new little drabble I want to get writing. I also need to get back to my own story, which has been neglected as of late. Any writing time I get is going for this ditty! There's two more chapters left after this one, so be prepared! Is that all I have to say? I can't think of anything else, really. Oh, yeah. Try not to get weirded out by my all over the place POV in this chapter. I might be going crazy, but to me it just doesn't sound right. Thanks for reading, and as always, remember, review! 3
The sound of horse hooves pounding the earth destroyed the peace of the forest. Bunnies, squirrels, and a few foxes as well all fled as Obi led the way to the border.
"So, let me get this straight again." Mitsuhide called, cantering up so he was next to Obi's brown horse. The tracker's eyes glowed with urgency, and he only glanced at Mitsuhide to show he was listening. His clothes were tattered and dirtied, his hair messed up even more so than it usually was. "You're telling us Zen's at the border in an abandoned mansion with Shirayuki and the First Prince of Tanbarun?"
"Don't forget about the fact he's poisoned. That's kind of a big deal." Obi added, nodding. His horse beneath him hopped over a fallen log. Mitsuhide nearly lost his seat as his horse did the same.
Kiki stayed behind the two on her chestnut colored mare, who cleared the obstacle gracefully. "What kind of poison?"
"I don't know. I barely made it out of there alive, the place is swarming with guards. I was chased after for some time after. They're determined, I'll give them that." Obi ducked underneath a branch, Mitsuhide the same.
Mitsuhide pursed his lips. "Let's hurry, then." It was hard to trust Obi, as they'd only known him for little more than two days. Not to mention his disappearance alongside Zen's, which he said was apparently spent following and tracking the lost prince and the red-haired girl right to the edge of the Clarines kingdom.
"You should have gotten us before you left. You would have stood a chance against the guards then." Kiki spoke, out of sight behind the boys.
"We wouldn't have known where they were taken otherwise." Obi responded, not unkindly.
Mitsuhide ignored them and focused his gaze ahead. They only had this forest left to clear until they were at the border. Or, at least, near it. He thought he knew the old mansion Obi was referring too. He could always be wrong, but it sounded suspiciously like one he had once received a report on. Obi was very detailed on his description.
Obi turned his horse left around a massive oak tree, the royal attendants' right on his tail.
Mitsuhide's legs were aching in protest. He had rode hard for the past few hours, having only stopped to rest the horses. They were nearly there, according to Obi and Kiki's map. He couldn't wait. He thought about when he first started working for Zen, and the news the prince had to be administered poison.
"What? Why?!" Mitsuhide demanded as Zen was sat down on his bed, his sleeves rolled up as his blood pressure was taken.
"Because all royalty in Clarines has to." Zen responded calmly, as if this wasn't a big deal. "We build up immunities to all and any poisons."
"But…can that even be done?" Mitsuhide glared at the servant holding the cup, making him jump and tense, nearly spilling the clear acidic liquid.
"Yes, and it's not something anyone enjoys doing." Chief Garack responded, lifting her hand from Zen's arm to his forehead. "But it's a necessary evil. He'll be fine, we have the antidote at the ready."
Mitsuhide still didn't like it. He pursed his lips and stared at Zen pleadingly. "Your Highness…you can't be serious about doing this."
Zen glared at Mitsuhide. "It's not up for debate, Mitsuhide. Ether be here and watch quietly or leave." His glare lessened. "I do appreciate your concern, though."
"My concern is this is going to end badly! You can't just take-"
"Mitsuhide." The glare was back, as fast as it had gone.
Mitsuhide sighed. He had to admit, as much as he disagreed with it, he did see the logic. Plus, he knew he would never manage to actually convince Zen out of it. Apparently they had been doing this for a while before he had been hired.
"Calm down, you two. No need to start a fight. Prince, remember what I said." She met his blue eyes with her purple. "Keep your breathing steady, no matter how badly it hurts. Slow your heartbeat like we practiced-the last thing you need is it circulating throughout your blood even faster. And what's the most important thing?"
"Always look for the antidote. Don't assume that the immunity is good enough. Get it out of your system." Zen took a steadying breath. "I know. I'm ready."
"Alright." Garack stood and took the cup. "Take as much as you can." She handed it to the Prince.
This is wrong. Mitsuhide thought. Everything in his body told him to smack away the cup from Zen's hands. To yell at Garack, to stop this before it was too-
Zen put his lips to the cup and tilted it backwards. Mitsuhide watched it move down his throat. The young second prince drained the cup completely of its clear liquid. He straightened the cup and took it away from his lips. He handed it back to Garack, seemingly fine.
"Tell me the moment you feel it kick in." Garack ordered, watching intently. She lifted her clipboard from the floor, holding an open journal ready to slip off the edge.
Zen nodded. He took a few steadying breaths.
The servant took the glass away. He set it down at the desk Garack had taken over for the day, and instead grabbed another glass. This was smaller, the liquid withholding the color of grass in the sunlight.
Zen suddenly started to cough, making Mitsuhide jump and start forward. He stopped himself, however. He held his breath, waiting and watching nervously, hand reaching for Zen
Zen clutched at his throat. "Breathing…difficult. Throat….closing!" He gagged, spittle starting down his chin. He took a massive, deep breath, eyes open and wide. His pupils shook, his expression wild and scared.
Garack wrote on her clipboard. "Do you need the antidote?"
"N-No." Zen took a few more breaths. "No." He focused on Garack.
"What is your last name?" Garack asked, marking something down.
"Wistalia."
"Where are you right now?"
"The capital of Clarines."
"What is your brother's name?"
"Izana."
"Who is your attendant?"
"Mitsuhide Lowen."
The questions went on, and on. Finally, Garack nodded. She asked him to stand. He couldn't. Tests such as that went on for about four hours before Garack finally ordered for an antidote to be given.
Now, Mitsuhide ducked under tree branch. "There!" He called.
He had been right. It was the old mansion the report had detailed. He halted his horse. Obi did the same, and Kiki as well. In front of the massive, decayed structure, a carriage sat. The two white horses, bejeweled in the way only royals can afford, gave their position away. Both their heads were up, ears perked in their direction. And because of their alertness, the two soldiers guarding the front doors walked forward, hands on their spears.
Mitsuhide cursed. "We can't really be stealthy now." He unsheathed his sword, the metal glinting in the slanted sunlight. They only had roughly two hours left until sundown. "Shall we go in on horseback?"
"We've ridden the poor things all day, let's let them rest." Obi dismounted, a dagger glinting in his hand.
"Fair point." Kiki unsheathed her own sword. Her blonde hair was ruffled because of the harsh ride, but she smoothed it down and retied it. She dismounted, her eyes dark as she prepared to enter battle.
"Let's not kill." Mitsuhide gave a warning glance at Obi. Obi spun the dagger around his fingers, looking a little put out.
"Aw, but it's only fair after all the fear they caused me."
"No, we need them alive. We can't kill the first prince ether, unless you can afford to start a war with Tanbarun." Kiki reasoned. She took the reins from her steed's head and tied them to a branch.
Mitsuhide glanced over to see the guards cautiously approaching. "Take that rope with you. First priority is finding Zen and Shirayuki."
Kiki nodded affirmively.
Obi sighed and spun his dagger once more. "If you say so. Although, can't we start a war over the first prince kidnapping and poisoning the second?"
"Perhaps." Kiki's jaw tensed at the thought.
Mitsuhide slipped free of his steed and tethered his like Kiki had. "Ready?"
Obi tied his own horse, then yawned. "I suppose so."
"Now!"
They lunged from the line of trees. They moved across the meadow quickly, and the opposing guards jumped to attention. One spun his spear around his fingers, and Mitsuhide bit back a curse. The ease of which he moved the weapon proved the men weren't going to be easy to defeat. But then again, they were guarding their prince.
Mitsuhide let out a battle cry and swung downwards as he skidded to a stop in front of the wielder. His sword connected with the side of a spear and a loud clang rang into the air. He pulled his sword back and twisted his wrist. The man pulled his spear free and stabbed forward. The tip connected with the flat of Mitsuhide's sword, which was facing towards the crowd and protecting his chest like a sash.
Mitsuhide rolled his body across the spear, turning his back on the sharp point. With his free hand, he grasped it heavily, then swung his own sword free from the tip, around, and down on the wood with all the momentum he could muster. The spear snapped in two with a loud crack. Mitsuhide swung his leg out and to the side, aiming to kick the man's feet from underneath him.
But the man was nimble. He grunted as he jumped, perfectly timing it. He came down-probably intending to break Mitsuhide's ankle, but he wasn't the only one with agility. Mitsuhide let go of the broken shaft and jumped back, holding his sword at the ready.
He risked a glance over and saw Kiki had already subdued her guard, Obi was trying the doors. He'd have to step up his game.
He ducked under the swing of a broken shaft and stepped forward. He turned his sword and swung upwards. The man leaned back, just avoiding a broken jaw. While he stumbled backwards, Mitsuhide dove between his legs. He came up behind him, and before the man could turn, he hit him in the head with his hilt. Hard.
The man collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Come on, slowpokes!" Obi called, holding the doors open. The handles had been broken off, and Mitsuhide didn't have time to ask if that was the tracker's doing.
Kiki and Mitsuhide left their unconscious opponents and ran inside. The interior held two more guards, who jumped to attention. They unsheathed their swords and aimed them at the intruders. "Halt!" One demanded.
"As if." Obi smarted. He jumped into the air, daggers flashing. The man tried to stab him, but Obi rolled in midair, landing with his feet on the man's chest. He slammed his fists down, connecting with the man's skull. The man wobbled on his feet, and Obi jumped off with a smirk.
However, the other guard swung his sword at him. Obi managed to duck, and the sword instead met with Kiki's. Sparks flew as the clang rang out through the room. The guard gasped at her, and she smiled faintly before Mitsuhide rushed forward and knocked him out as well. The three thundered up the steps.
The hall held one guard, who had heard the commotion. He held up a sword from his perch on the floor, blood coming from his upper bicep.
"Obi, patch his wound." Kiki ordered.
"Whaaaaat? No way! I was the one who gave him the wound, he nearly cut my head off!" Obi protested.
"Now!" Kiki barked.
Obi jumped and saluted. "Yes, maim." He whimpered.
Mitsuhide kicked the sword out of the guard's hand. He turned through the only open door. He took in the scene, trying to make sense of it. To the left of him, a puddle of black liquid held the dead body of a female. A thin, lanky boy with brown hair Mitsuhide believed to be the prince (based on his attire) looked at him in fear and shock. One guard held his sword at the ready, staring down Mitsuhide. The guard was very creepy. He had straight black hair and eyes permanently slanted, not to mention ash-colored skin.
He could hear a girl sobbing quietly-he assumed it was Shirayuki. He couldn't see her, so he figured she was in front of the couch. He glanced underneath it and saw a sight that made his throat go dry. It looked like someone was lying flat down on the ground, their back arching up underneath bare, callused feet.
The guard charged him, and Mitsuhide met him easily. "Back away!" He ordered. He swung left, the guard met his sword. He whirled his entire body all the way around to the right and the guard met his sword again. He punched, aiming for the gut. The guard caught his hand, but before he could twist or anything, Mitsuhide stepped heavily on the guard's ankle. The guard flinched, and Mitsuhide swung his sword in a wide circle with his opponet's still resting on his. The scrape of metal ended abruptly as the motion eventually forced the guard to let go of his hilt. The sword went flying to the side of the room, where it skittered into a corner and stilled.
Kiki took over for Mitsuhide. She rushed forward and pressed her sword tip to his throat. "On your knees." She ordered.
The guard obliged, putting his hands into the air.
Mitsuhide didn't wait to see her tie his hands up. He ran forward and around the couch, avoiding the strange puddle by going around to the right.
He stopped, his breath refusing to leave his lungs.
Shirayuki was kneeling over a lifeless Zen. The second prince's sword lie over his stomach, his hand resting over the hilt. His head was hidden from Mitsuhide by the back of the red-haired slave.
Shirayuki turned and looked up at him. Her green eyes dripped tear after tear onto her cheeks. She shook her head helplessly.
Mitsuhide clenched his fist. Behind him, he felt Kiki squeeze his forearm. She covered her mouth with her hand. He grasped her other hand and pulled her around Shirayuki. He knelt with his partner, keeping his fingers against hers.
Zen's neck was half-way covered with pulsing, green veins. His eyes were shut, his mouth open. If not for that green, he could have been sleeping. Shirayuki's tears had dripped onto his cheeks, leaving little bubbles. His mouth was parted slightly, but no breath came.
"I…I'm so…sorry." Shirayuki whispered into the air. "It's all my fault."
Mitsuhide felt numb from head to toe. He tried to breathe. Gingerly, he reached for Zen.
Shirayuki saw his hand coming. She flinched back, lifting off of Zen in fear. Mitsuhide would feel bad for her later. For now, he pressed his hand on Zen's neck. He held his breath, trying to feel for a pulse. He couldn't find any.
Kiki sniffed, a sound he never expected to hear from her. A sound he never wanted to hear from her. She leaned into his shoulder, burying her forehead into his bicep.
Obi came in, daggers at the ready. When he saw no threat, he relaxed his stance and jogged over. "How's-oh." He cut himself off as he saw the state of Zen. His body seemed to shrink, as if the understanding weighed down on him like an actual object. "Oh." He shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, I should have gotten here sooner."
Shirayuki buried her face in her hands, her new chains rattling.
Obi knelt where he stood, next to Mitsuhide and Shirayuki. He bowed his head and held a moment of silence, which only made Mitsuhide feel even worse. Then he stood again and faced Raji, the only one willing too. He leveled his dagger with the brown haired, stuttering prince on the floor. "What happened here?!" He demanded.
"It-It-It wasn't my fault!" The prince started to crawl to the left, trying to get away from the very real threat of Obi. "I-I-I…he was…this was….an-an accident! Yes! An accident! I swear!" He nodded his head, then yelped and moved a little bit farther.
Obi kept his bright, piercing eyes on the first Prince. "Do you know who you've just killed?"
"I-I didn't kill him!" Raji's voice rose an octave higher as he scrambled until his head hit the wall. Obi kept approaching. Raji turned on his butt and backed farther.
"Do you know his name?!" Obi demanded still.
"N-No-No, I-" Raji was cut off with his own gasp of horror as he realized he had put his hand directly into the puddle of black liquid that had seeped out of the mirror. He lifted his hand carefully and slowly, not wanting any of it to roll up his forearms. As he did, each drop dripped back down from his neatly trimmed nails. They didn't catch the light, which was what made Obi wonder exactly what it was.
Raji took a few deep breaths, then sprung upwards and shook his hand madly through the air. "Get it off! Get it off!" He chanted. Droplets flew all across the room. Raji continued to shake until his skin was clear off the strange liquid.
"Watch out!" Obi called to those around Zen's body.
Mitsuhide and Kiki jumped back, onto their feet.
Shirayuki didn't move.
A single black droplet flew through the air, almost as if it had a goal. It only allowed gravity to take hold once it passed Zen's boots. The droplet dipped downwards, landing directly on Zen's bottom lip. There, it started to slide down the arch. Shirayuki moved to wipe it, but it was too late. Her finger brushed a dry lip, the droplet having escaped into Zen's parted mouth.
A stunned silence followed.
Obi broke it. He lunged forward and grabbed Raji roughly by the collars of his shirt. The tracker lifted the first prince onto his feet and slammed him against the wall, right next to the broken mirror. "What is that ink going to do to him?!" He demanded.
Raji gasped and lifted his hands upwards, palm facing Raji. "I have no idea! If he was still alive, it could do anything! I swear, I don't know!"
"Obi." Kiki warned, her voice heavy. "Enough. It doesn't matter. Zen's-Zen's gone." Her voice broke. Almost angrily, she turned Mitsuhide so he was facing her and threw her body against his, burying her head into his chest.
Mitsuhide wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to the top of her head, then closed his eyes and rested his cheek against her hair, staring hopelessly at the lost prince. Tears threatened to roll free from his eyes. He shut them tightly and pulled Kiki closer to him. The two knights' swords remained next to them on the floor, useless.
Obi let out a huff of a breath and dropped the prince of Tanbarun. He fell to the floor ungracefully, grunting as his bum hit the ground. The tracker ran his hand through his dark brown hair and turned away from all in the room-looking towards the balcony.
Shirayuki looked down at Zen's body. He didn't move, didn't breathe, didn't smile, and didn't blink. His flesh was still warm. Her body, on the other hand shook with sobs. She leaned over him again. She remembered her dream, she remembered him catching her in his arms.
Her breath graced over his lips, her nose not a centimeter away from his own.
She remembered his eyes, she never got a chance to compare them, truly, to the real sea. She remembered how he held her hand, how he stopped the panic attacks. She remembered how he told her she was free.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, to him and him alone.
Before the warmth had completely gone, she pressed her lip against his top lip. She hesitated, but then pressed both her lips fully onto his. She held there for a moment, before pulling back reluctantly. She lifted herself back into a sitting position, tears slipping down her face.
Shirayuki thought she saw Zen's eyelids flutter. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, and this time saw him actually open them. The pools of blue were still the same. They opened completely, and he blinked once. "Shira…Shirayuki?" He whispered. His voice was hoarse.
"Z-Zen." She murmured. Her mouth kept opening and closing, trying to find words. She wasn't relieved or happy, she was actually a little more freaked out if anything. She knew he was dead. How was he still alive? Moving swiftly, she swiped some of her hair behind her ear and leaned forward, looking at his neck. The green veins were gone, as if they never were. Color returned to Zen's face. His chest rose and fell, and his fingers curled around his sword. She touched her fingers to where the green veins were, to her pulse. Against his skin, she felt his heartbeat. Somewhat slow, but it was picking up speed as he breathed. "Zen?"
He looked at her, looking confused, embarrassed, and enchanting. He smiled hopelessly. "Do you think I could have another kiss?"
