Dance as though it is your first.
Sing as though it will be your last.
Chances are it will be.
- 'Diva Song' by Anonymous.
Len reached in his pocket and drew out the pendant for the fourth time that night. It was warm but it wasn't glowing or singing to him. He was eager to hear the voice again but at least he knew she was alive. She had to be. He shook his head and pressed the necklace close to his lips.
"At the end of the desperate paradise, I seek the lost voice. I am fated to wander from street to street, further and further away." He whispered against it in a soft lullaby. It'd been a while since he last sang anything, finding little to no inspiration. This time the song just poured out of him. "In the shadow of the closed history. I long for the stolen days." They'd been traveling for a while now and though he could hear Kaito complaining in the background, that didn't stop or even slow their pace.
"The voice that echoes in the depth of my heart is agonized by suffering…" They were nearing a town from the looks of it. Meiko called on up ahead of them all, saying something about it being a peace driven town. Gakupo just shook his head and muttered something in reply. Len had gone deaf to all the voices around him but his own. "My wish doesn't reach to the everlasting paradise." He said softly as the town came into view.
Kaito smiled and moved faster on ahead mentioning something about finding food. As they neared the town, an odd feeling swept over the boy. He frowned as he heard a jingle of laughter. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw shapes but when he turned there was no one there. "It is distorted with voices," Len continued before letting go of the pendant and letting it fall back down by his chest. He let a hand rest over his sword as he looked on ahead, "and keep vanishing away."
"He has a pretty voice," Rin said as she smiled at the pendant. Her voice was sore again and talking was difficult let alone singing. She looked out of her little dwelling and could hear nothing but the sound of droplets hitting the cave floor. The beast had gone out to hunt but she wasn't sure how long it'd be gone. Sometimes it was gone a few hours, sometimes it was gone a few days. There had even been a time when she was very young that the beast didn't return for two weeks. She'd cried and cried and thought she would die there all along but it eventually returned.
Not that a dragon was much company anyway.
She hesitated before slowly shifting out of her 'bed' and tiptoed out into the whole of her prison. Even when the beast was gone, she felt the need to be quiet as a mouse. She always felt as though someone else was watching her. She breathed out a little gasp of air and watched a puff appear in front of her face. It was getting colder in the cave. If she was lucky the beast might bring back something to burn. Maybe not.
Rin looked up to the ceiling of the cave where the only light was. That same strange moonlight that shown all hours of the day and night. It only got a slight darker when she assumed it was actually night time. She frowned and carefully padded along the shallow spring over to the other side of the cave. Her fingers delicately danced over the rocks as she trailed along the stony catacomb walls. Her own demise would be soon no doubt.
"He's coming," she said aloud to no one, stopping near the base of the creatures own bed. A large groove in the ground that dipped low so it cradled the monster just enough. It was a small indent and compared to how large the beast was it looked more like a platform when it rested on it. Rin shivered at the thought of ever being this close to the beast. Its red eyes would burn into her before breaking every bone in her body.
Rin felt herself gasp again and shiver at the thought as she fell to her knees and held herself tightly. "I don't want to die," she said suddenly. She'd never said those words before and meant it but it felt real now. Death would come for her and she'd never meet him. The girl refused to cry but did close her eyes to silence any threatening tears.
The sound came again. The drip- drip- dripping noise from somewhere up top. There was always water somewhere in the cave. She had plenty to drink and the dragon made sure she had plenty to eat when she needed. Plenty to wear. Plenty to keep herself warm. Rin's eyes snapped open suddenly as she thought of it. Ever since she was a child, she'd been given few things by the beast, but given things none the less.
How had it known anything?
A beast was just a beast. It might be able to speak to her in thoughts but did that mean it knew what clothes were? What in the world a brush was when she'd needed to comb her hair? Rin frowned feeling that sense of another presence again. She stood up and glanced around the cave. Maybe someone else was watching and closer than she thought.
"Where are you?" She girl whispered into the darkness. She must have traced the cave over a million times in her life. There was no entrance, no exit, nothing but the open ceiling big enough for the dragon and surely no one else came and left through it. Then she had another odd feeling as she looked over the beasts' chamber.
Perhaps there was a reason it always stayed in the same spot after all…
The town was in ruins.
There were shops lining the streets but all the goods were destroyed. People were hiding in their houses or out on the sidewalks sobbing and trying to repair anything they could find. There were carts going around to gather any dead that were lying around. The group was speechless as they looked it over. "Peaceful huh?" Gakupo whispered before making his way through. Meiko frowned and followed after him, then Kaito and finally Len.
"We shouldn't stay long," Kaito said in a somber tone; one of which Len didn't even know he had. "Something tells me we're not welcomed here." A few dirty looks from villagers confirmed their suspicions. "I wonder what happened here…"
"Guards came," an elder woman said off on the side, holding onto a small child in attempt to comfort it. Len could tell it wasn't hers. "They just marched on in and started destroying stuff. Said they were looking for a boy," the woman looking at Len and he immediately felt a strong guilt in his stomach. "One with hair the color of the sun."
"Luka," Gakupo muttered looking at Meiko a second then back to the woman. "I'm sorry this happened… But do you know which way these men went?"
"They were heading for the woods I think," she said as the child coughed and choked on a sob. "They didn't even give us a chance to defend ourselves. They just started to destroy everything," she said shaking her head over and over again. "They were looking for the boy with yellow hair."
"Him," another villager said when they finally overheard the conversation. It was a middle-aged man with jagged features and a pitch fork tightly grasped in one hand, while the other pointed toward Len. "He's the boy they were looking for!"
Len wanted to deny it but knew there was no way he could. He was the reason these people were so miserable. "We need to leave," Meiko said narrowing her eyes as a small mob begun to form. Each one just as angry and strong as the man. "Now."
Gakupo nodded and motioned Kaito to move. Len stayed however, staring at the crowd that had gathered. He knew this was just one of the many villages that would be destroyed because of him. Luka's army and the soon to be angered dragon… Things would only get worse before they got better. For a moment, he didn't know if he was doing the right thing or not.
He slowly turned and begun following his comrades out away from the crowd but they didn't get far before someone in the mob struck out. A makeshift lantern flew over head just barely missing the boy. Len ducked then whipped his head back around to see the attacker, but in this crowd everyone looked the same. "Watch it," Meiko said stepping between Len and the people. "Len, go on." She said giving warning looks.
"They're just innocent people," Len said looking up at her, "we can't attack back."
"I know that," Meiko hissed glancing back at him "let's just hurry up and get the hell out of-" The woman let out a loud grunt of pain as something jabbed at her side. She doubled over holding it as Len lashed forward. One of the men had used a shovel to wind her. The boy kicked the shovel out of the man's hand and instantly three more took its place.
Len didn't hesitate to draw his sword. "Villagers!" Gakupo shouted raising his hands and stepping forward as Kaito rushed to Meiko. "We mean no harm! What's happened to your home is a tragedy but attacking us won't do any good now!" Len narrowed his eyes but saw that they were listening. "We live in fear of the beast upon the mountain don't you? We are the saviors to you all. We're going to slay the monster or die trying now let us leave in peace, there does not need to be any more bloodshed here."
The crowd all stayed tense but they weren't going to attack. "Go," Gakupo said without looking to the others. With a quick nod and hesitate stare Len stepped back to help Kaito with the fallen woman. When no one went after them again, they vanished into the distance just as easily as they'd come.
Rin followed the grove down and around. She felt the smooth stone under her feet where the dragon's scales had polished the bedrock. It was huge and smelled of ash and fire. She looked around trying to find any sign of clues or a pothole or anything but so far she was coming up empty. It was large though… She'd never gotten close enough to realize how big the monster was until now. It overflowed in this chasm and for her to be wandering around inside it…
It was like being inside the beast itself.
The girl pushed the thoughts away as she looked around some more. There was no sign of light anywhere and for a minute she feared she'd been too hopeful for nothing. When she reached the other side of the hole she frowned and glanced back. She's circled the entire grove of the half circle in the cave wall and there was nothing. She cursed herself and the beast before looking up at the ceiling. It too was very high to hold the beast and the overwhelming sense of being killed by it returned.
"Len?" Rin called into the darkness. From here the voice echoed. "I'm lost. I can't find a way out," she said hugging herself again. With some much ash and soot you think a little warmth would be possible but it was almost chilled down in the hole. "Even if you found me, we'd only both be stuck here…" She shook her head before reaching up and grasping her pendant, "and I don't want that."
She lifted the necklace up and over her head and pressed the cool metal to her lips. "Len, I don't want you to come to me. Stay behind. Please," but the necklace felt no warmth at all. She hadn't felt any warmth for a while now and wondered just how the damned thing worked. She let go of it and it fell to the base of the stone as she rubbed her arms quickly trying to gain friction on them. "Why is it so cold?" She asked aloud looking around.
Outside of the hold it was always warm, even on the coldest nights it didn't seem this cold. Perhaps she was only imagining it. Rin frowned and looked back along the cave wall. Carefully she held out one of her hands and felt it. Like the rest of the chasm, it was smooth like obsidian. "Where is it coming from?" She asked as she begun to walk again along the side of the grove.
She hadn't noticed it before but a strange chill hit her the closer she got to the center. "Where is it coming from?" She asked and a moment later got her answer. Her hand dipped back into darkness for a moment. Rin gasped and pulled her hand back looking at the cave wall. It was the same blackness the rest of the wall was but…
She frowned again and reached out to press her hand to it once more. Her hand vanished again. "What is this?" She asked moved her hand around inside. She couldn't feel a back but the sides seemed large enough to hold a person. It was cool inside and had a light feeling like water. She shook her head but allowed herself to say it aloud, "a black river in the wall?"
The girl leaned in a little closer, trying to feel the back of the hidden passageway but she still couldn't find anything. A hallway maybe? An exit… The dragon was hiding an exit. The only problem was that she didn't know where it lead nor if it really was an escape or just a way into another cave dwelling.
Rin leaned in again wanted to see inside. If she could see past the black… Maybe she could find where it lead. She sucked in a deep breath and begun to press her face to it when a loud roaring noise was heard overhead.
The beast had returned.
Len was sullen all night. They'd stopped by a river outside of the village and tended to Meiko's wound; the shovel had done more damage than they would have hoped. Gakupo said it was a broken rib and that she should stay off it but the woman was stubborn. A quick nap, some ice and a wrap along her side and they were off again.
The boy had separated himself from the rest of the group in hopes of speaking to his sister but all he got was the chill of silence. These nights when the crickets chirped and the fire crackled made him miss his home. He wondered about his mother and what she was doing. He wondered if his quest really was impossible. Then he thought of his sister. She'd never seen anything besides the inside of that awful cave. If he didn't save her…
"I want to make sure," Len whispered quietly in song, "the sound of your warmth with my hands," he said looking up at the night sky. The trees covered up everything there would be to see. He prayed the stars were out. "Not hesitating to get hurt," he said as the crickets stopped.
Rin had scurried out of the dragon's layer just in time, felling to her knees at the base of the grove. The beast dropped down and after a quick snort in her direction, curled up and hid away the secret passage again. Rin narrowed her eyes at it, angry with herself for not vanishing behind the stone. She looked down and scooped her pendant back up. She couldn't leave it behind though…
She'd get another chance.
Sing! The dragon screeched in her mind. She reached up and covered her ears. It was like someone hammering nails into her mind. She hated it. The beast seemed angry today and Rin wasn't quite in the mood to protest today. If she stayed on its good side, maybe it would leave again.
"At the end of the artificial paradise," Rin said softly gripping the pendant tight, "deep, deep in the bottom of the earth…"
As she sang on, she couldn't help but feel a strange warmth come over her. The dragon could have been radiating heat or maybe it was the pendant. She only opened her mouth and continued to sing, even as she felt her throat give way. She could feel the blood welt up; she tried to swallow it but only ended up coughing it out. She started crying but couldn't give up. Not yet…
"I am fated to sing prayers all alone…"
By the time Len reached camp they were already in battle. The group of warriors had been stealthy but the band of misfits were ready. Meiko drew her sword and slashed at one of the men, colliding her sword against his. She flinched and leaned against her hurt side but didn't stop. Gakupo used anything he could find to use as a weapon. Kaito used his trusty dagger to keep the enemies at bay but wasn't watching his back like usual.
Len jumped out of the woods and threw his sword out to get the enemy back. "Finally," Kaito smiled as he turned around and saw Len wipe the blood off his sword. "Just in time kid," he said going back to fighting. Len just rolled his eyes and went back to the fight at hand.
Almost instantly he was combated with another army man. Their swords clashed against one another but the man was much stronger. He easily knocked the blond boy away. Len shifted to get away from the man but the sword still managed to graze his cheek. Len's face stunk but it only fueled the fire. He let out a loud cry as he swung the sword again. There was another loud clash of metal on metal and this time Len held his own.
"Give it up boy!" The man shouted. They both pushed against one another, Len felt his body straining. He grunted and pushed forward some more and the man gave way. He fumbled back slightly and gave Len enough room to go in for a final blow. The man raised his sword above his head and was about to strike the boy down, but Len was smaller and lighter on his feet. He lunged forward and stabbed his sword between the man's side where the armor was weak.
The man let out a painful shriek before falling to the ground. Len panted and pulled his sword back looking back to the others. Everyone was holding their own; there were only a few men left. Luka's army must have split up to find them. That or they were getting lazy back in the kingdom. It'd be finish soon either way.
Len panting lightly as he lifted a hand up and wiped the still stinging wound. When he pulled his hand back and saw the red stain of blood. "Warm hands were offered but couldn't reach me…" A voice sang amongst the noise of the battle. He felt weak.
He thought about the village they'd passed through earlier. How the people had been murdered because of him. How the village was torn apart because of his impossible quest. They'd screamed at him, shouted at him, and cursed his name. Tears burned in his eyes as he thought about his sister. Somehow he knew time was running out.
The boy let his bloody hand clench into a fist as he turned back to the fight. It had died down now, only a few people left alive and those that could move ran away. "They're getting sloppy," Meiko said holding her side as he looked over at Len. Gakupo nodded as Kaito wiped off his dagger. "We need to get moving. They'll find reinforcements."
"Yes," Len said in a rushed voice as he grasped his pendant and without gathering their things he headed for the mountains.
