The Four Kingdoms
By Elle Pellano
Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King
Author's Note: I have no idea what Horo-Horo's mom was called so I just christened her with a new name.
Chapter XXIX. Damuko (Part I)
King Horokeu slid open the glass doors leading to the balcony of his bedroom. He was greeted by the picturesque landscape of Fubuki, the central town and seat of power in the kingdom of Kouri. Although he woke up to the same scenery every day, he had never really gotten tired of it.
Fubuki was not as grandiose as Kasai's Koichi. In fact, Kouri as a whole paled in comparison with the other three kingdoms in terms of land area, population size and architectural aesthetics. Residing on the easternmost tip of the land, this little kingdom only had a central seaport town and four other small farming villages with butterbur as their major crop. Military resources were scarce but the people did not consider this as a major drawback because they were a peace-loving nation after all. The citizens were highly confident in their undermanned but well-trained army. Besides, the Asakura clan of Kasai had also taken an oath that they would be extending their military support to them in times of conflict and although it may not look like it, Kouri was highly capable of paying for extra armament and manpower if the situation deemed it necessary.
Life in Kouri was quiet and simple and King Horokeu appreciated his role there more than the very first time the golden crown had been laid forcibly on his head by his father. The former ruler, Lycan Usui had left home after bestowing his administrative rights to him. He had never visited his turf ever since so his son got quite a shock after seeing such a bulky bearded man offering him breakfast in bed the moment he woke up that morning.
"You could have telegrammed me first so that I'll know you would be coming," the young ruler of Kouri called out from the balcony to his long absent father who was placing down the utensils and plates from the breakfast tray onto the small coffee table.
"Sorry, I was too excited to see my son after -- ", Lycan began to count with his fingers.
"Seven years. Would you cut off that ugly beard? It's giving me the creeps!"
"Oh, was it that long?"
King Horokeu was not sure if his father was asking about the length of his absence or his beard. He would have replied a 'yes' either way.
"It's a good thing Tona recognized you and let you go through my door."
"Actually, he did not. He tried to grapple me. Come let's have breakfast first."
His son entered the room and sat by the coffee table. "So how did you make yourself known?"
"Well, it was quite easy. I just showed him this," Lycan took out something from his pocket. It was his wife's snowflake-shaped locket containing their children's photos when they were still babies.
"You and Pirika were so cute here, Horo-horo."
The young king reddened with embarrassment. "Stop! I don't want to hear anything of that sort, old man!" He finished off his breakfast pancake in four big bites.
"What brought you here anyway?" he asked after gulping down his glass of milk. The former king must have something very important to tell. "The tunnels will be almost complete. I had to employ farmers to give extra hands on the digging. By the end of the month, we can start transporting--"
"My son," Lycan interrupted him. "I came here for personal and not for business reasons. I'm here to visit you that's all." He grinned widely at him.
King Horokeu replied with a raised eyebrow. He wasn't really convinced that his father would suddenly pop out for nothing.
"Well… it's also because of this," his father fumbled for something from his coat.
"Aha! I was right. There is something else, isn't it?"
Lycan handed him an ornately decorated envelope bearing the dry seal of a feather.
King Horokeu looked surprised.
"It's an invitation to the friendship ball," his father explained.
The young monarch stared at the letter from the Royal Patch Academy.
He was only ten when his father had sent him off to a foreign land to get formal education. He didn't think it was necessary for him to attend an academic institution for royal bloods to learn how to grow butterbur and run the kingdom. He had strongly voiced this out to his father who seemed to have made up his mind already. If only his mother were there, she could have talked some sense into his father so that he would not have made him go. Alas, the queen left them when Pirika was barely a year old.
When his verbal protests went unheard, he resorted to locking himself up in his room three days before the royal ship set sail. His father had tirelessly pounded on his door with a threat to cut back his meals yet he was unfazed for he had already commissioned the help of his younger sister to sneak in provisions into his room while everybody slept. The former king was impatient but he proved to be a good strategist. On the night before his voyage, his father had secretly employed the help of the palace guards to climb soundlessly into the balcony of his room while he drooled in his slumber and transport his things to the royal ship docked at the sea port. He woke up the following morning only to find his entire wardrobe and personal belongings gone. His father was waiting outside his door with two options for him: You can stay here and wear your underpants forever or go to school and have your things back. He had no other choice.
King Horokeu gazed at the dwarf-like plushie lying on top of his bedside cabinet. It's been a long time, Damuko...
He could still clearly remember what had transpired there seven years ago.
It was his first day of school and he found himself standing side by side with a grouchy-looking man with a sharp nose and thin wide lips. Despite the old man's diminutive stature, he had an air of authority around him that would silence even the most stubborn student in an instant. About fifteen pairs of eyes stared back at them with extreme curiosity. Some were sizing him up from head to foot trying to figure out what made him so special as to merit the introduction of the academy's top official. Apparently, this was the first time in the school's history that an enrollee had been accompanied to his class by no other than the headmaster himself.
"Everyone, this is Prince Horokeu Usui from the kingdom of Kouri."
Murmurs began to fill the room.
"Kouri? That tiny piece of farmland?"
"I can't believe Master Goldva's favorite was from that LITTLE kingdom."
"I bet his father paid the academy with tons of butterbur!"
Horo-Horo tried to ignore his classmates' derisions but he was already balling his fists. If he started a fight now, he might be sent back home in an instant. Well, maybe that was not such a bad thing but his father would be very disappointed if he saw him knocking at the palace gates earlier than expected.
"This is his first day here at the academy. Please treat him nicely. Can I hear a response?"
"Yes, Headmaster Goldva," the students chorused.
"Good, you may proceed with your class, Master Silva," the head master nodded at the Patch instructor and left the room.
"Prince Horokeu, kindly take that empty seat beside Ms. Kurobe."
He approached the empty wooden chair with caution. The girl to his right smiled at him but he ignored her completely. He hated it there. It was no fun sitting on a chair for two hours and listening to a serious-looking instructor rattle about senseless information. At that very moment, he could have been out into the butterbur fields playing hide-and-seek with his sister. He could have run to the sea port to play pirate king with the fishermen's children or he could have gone to Kasai to bother Yoh with his royal training. He was missing his old life already. When Master Silva announced lunch break, he felt like a prisoner finally freed from a cold damp dungeon.
"Hi! Do you want to join me for lunch?" his girl seatmate smiled at him for the second time. It was only then that he noticed how cute she is.
"Okay," he quickly agreed for he did not have any idea where to eat.
He followed her into an elegant dining hall with a dome shaped ceiling from which a crystal chandelier hanged. At the center was a long buffet table full of appetizing and freshly-prepared cuisine. The heirs of the rich and powerful monarchies of the world occupied the lines of linen-covered tables that were set for fine dining. For the first time in his life Horo-Horo actually felt like a true prince. They didn't have those lavish things at the Kouri palace. He excitedly filled his tray with all sorts of food he can find.
The girl giggled at him as they settled on the dining table she picked.
"You're going to enjoy it here," she said. "I'm Tamiko Kurobe by the way."
"Glad to meet you Princess Tamiko," he said with his mouth full. He was not an avid fan of good manners after all.
The girl laughed heartily as if she had witnessed a court jester displaying his antics. Horo-Horo stared at her in astonishment. Was it something he said or were there food bits on his face?
"I'm not a princess." she explained. "My father is just good at building dams and he had many kingdoms as clients. That's why he can afford to send me here. I'm sure you're far more affluent than me."
No, Kouri is just a kingdom of fishermen and farmers. He would have replied that to her but he was choking on a piece of steak.
Tamiko handed him a glass of grape juice which he gratefully accepted.
"Because my father is a dam builder, other students here started calling me Damuko. I guess you can use that little nickname on me but in return, I will also call you by some other name. 'Horokeu' sounds too old and mature."
"Horo-Horo is fine."
"Glad to meet you Horo-Horo."
Since that meeting, they were inseparable.
"Horo-Horo!" Damuko could not contain her joy as she approached her blue-haired friend at their favorite dining table. "Today is Queen Yuki's Day! There's an ongoing festivity in town with street performances and food stalls and game booths and I heard there will be a floating lantern display tonight. It's such a waste that we can't go."
"What is Queen Yuki's Day?" the Kouri prince apparently could not relate.
"You don't know?! You are not listening to Master Chrom's lecture are you?" his friend waved a finger at him. "Queen Yuki's Day is an annual commemoration of the former queen, Yuki's birthday. You see there was a large kingdom here ruled by Queen Yuki before she divided it among her royal advisers."
"Why would she ever do that?"
"Well, she had no heir and she indicated in her last will and testament that her kingdom be divided equally into four. A quarter of the land was given each to her trusted royal advisers namely Orona McDonell, Liam Diethel and Francois Mont St. Michel. The last piece of land where the palace stood was donated to the Royal Patch Academy."
"So our school building was a former palace? Wow! That queen must have come from a very rich family."
"Yes, she was affluent yet very humble. Because of her generosity, the dukedoms are celebrating the queen's birthday every year. Too bad we can't go outside to see it."
"Why not?"
"We have to secure an exit pass from the headmaster to go out of the academy but the only way he will allow us to leave is when we're accompanied by a family member. And even though Father is here, there's a one-to-a-million chance that the headmaster will give us his authorization since it is almost dark outside. Nobody is allowed to leave the school premises at night." Disappointment was painted all over Damuko's face.
"Aw… maybe I'll try again next year."
"Do you really want to go?" Horo-Horo grinned at his friend.
"Yes!"
"Then let's go!"
Damuko stared back at him with utter disbelief. "Without the school's permission?"
"We'll only be out for a few hours. By the time the school announces lights off, we'll be right under our bed covers. "
"But how are we going to leave without being caught?"
The blue-haired boy thought for a while. "Follow me."
John Denbat leaned on the wall and daydreamed about playing the violin in a high-class party. He had often considered himself a natural-born musician but it was his parents' bidding that compelled him to enter the security forces. He was a royal guard for three years at the palace of the deceased Queen Yuki but since the disestablishment of the former kingdom, he had been employed by the Royal Patch Academy to serve under the school's private security forces. It was the same monotonous task and the same old building to protect. He hated it all. He might have changed his opinion about being a security personnel if he was not asked to leave his previous post. Being a hallway sentinel at the now converted palace was far nobler (and warmer) than a lowly gatekeeper to the school's south exit. He began to whistle out of boredom but stopped when he caught his partner eyeing him from head to foot as if assessing his competence for the responsibility of safeguarding the future kings and queens of the world.
Why was I ever stuck with this guy? John would often curse at the headmaster for making him work with a rigid and boring person such as Chris Venstar.
Chris was an imposing muscular man with the appearance of a military general. He was a former royal guard, too and was too dedicated at his job that he considered slackers such as John to be unworthy of the position. "Will you stand up properly? Your lazy posture is hurting my eyes."
"Why? Nobody is looking anyway," John lit up a cigar which he had taken out of his pocket. The school banned smoking in its premises but he did not care. It's not like the headmaster's razor-sharp vision can see him through the thick trees near the south gate.
"You're a bad influence to the prince and princesses of this school. Have you got no shame?"
"Those rich brats aren't going to see me. Not a single one of them had passed by this place to say hello. Relax! Those kids are too afraid to break school rules."
"Quiet!" Chris's annoyed expression suddenly changed to an alarmed look.
"What now?"
"I heard movements over there." He pointed at the thick clump of shrubs and trees near the stone path leading to the school's kitchen door.
The color quickly drained from John's face. For the whole three years of his career he had never experience any conflict. His partner looked too damn serious. Someone or something was out there.
"Then go see it," he told Chris a matter-of-factly trying to hide his fright under a mask of calmness.
"Yes, you're right. Don't leave your spot. If he comes running, prevent him from escaping through the gate, understand?" The bold Chris Venstar left him immediately.
John gulped. He was hoping no deranged lunatic or a murderous criminal or even a hungry wild animal would come his way. He would have fainted the moment he saw one. Maybe he wasn't really fit to be a security personnel. He was now seriously considering a change in career after this experience.
He was alone only for a minute when he heard a blood-curdling scream. It came from Chris's direction. Without looking back, he hurriedly pulled down the lever to slightly raise the gate and scampered away into the darkness.
Two short giggling figures went out into the open after he left.
"That was a great idea Horo-Horo!" Damuko let out her laughter when they were already far away from the school.
"Yep, that was my original scare-the-gatekeepers-off tactic. I used to do that to our very own palace guards at home," the blue-haired prankster said proudly. "Thanks for making me use your doll and paint as props. You may not want her back though."
He had borrowed Damuko's porcelain walking doll which was a gift from her father when she was little. The poor doll which was tall enough to be mistaken for a four year old child had been stripped off its fancy dress and strategically painted with patches of red on its white limbs and face. Horo-Horo removed the doll's pigtails, spread about its long black hair and dropped a trickle of red paint on both its blue glassy eyes. He then hanged it with a rope around its neck on a tree branch where the unlucky royal guard saw it swinging.
"Oh, that's okay. I already outgrew it." Damuko assured her friend. She would give up everything just to witness the celebration at the town square.
They walked as fast as their feet could carry them until they heard distant music from drums and accordion being played. At last, they reached the central town and the most memorable night of their lives had just begun.
Horo-Horo marveled at the colorful festivities before him. There were celebrations like this in Kouri but not as extravagant as this. Street performers where simultaneously doing shows on every open space they could find in the square. The aroma of grilled meat and freshly baked sweets tempted him into walking towards the food stalls and experiencing their gastronomic delights. He had already started devouring a stick of lamb barbecue when Damuko pulled him away.
"Aww… Damuko, let me eat first," Horo-Horo complained.
"You already had dinner in school. You're hungry again?" she rolled her eyes as she dragged him.
"I'm a growing kid, you know. Do you want to play another game? You already had Kororo." He was referring to the small dwarf-like plushie that he had won for her in the dart booth.
"No, I'm fine with Kororo. Thanks for giving it to me. But the floating lantern display is about to start. We need to get a good spot."
"Damuko, wait up!" Horo-Horo grabbed his friend's arm to stop her.
They paused in front of the statue of a regal woman with her slender arms wide open as if beckoning them to come forward and embrace her. On her neck hanged a familiar-looking snowflake-shaped pendant.
Mother…
Horo-Horo felt a small lump on his throat. His mother left them when they were very young yet he could still clearly remember how she looked like based on her portraits back at home.
Your mother needed to do something very important. Their father explained but he did not emphasize that she wasn't coming back.
"This is Queen Yuki. Beautiful isn't she?" Damuko admired the stone lady.
Horo-Horo suddenly felt like crying. He hated the feeling of being abandoned. The former queen's statue has this effect on him. He began to walk away before the tears came rolling down his cheeks.
"Let's go to your floating lantern NOW."
Damuko noticed her friend's sudden change in mood. "Hey Horo-Horo, is there something wrong?" she called out to him but he ignored her. She wanted to hold his hand to tell him everything's going to be okay but a greasy arm grabbed her from behind.
"Help me Horo-Horo!"
Luchist Lasso had served in the disestablished kingdom's military as the most promising general of his time. He was a renowned strategist who boasted a one hundred percent success rate in all his crime-busting missions which earned him admiration even from foreign kingdoms. When the queen died and the military forces had been dissolved, he was appointed by Duke Liam Diethel, the founder of the Royal Police as a squad leader of the security unit that watched over the former central town.
That night, the town was far from being peaceful. There was a festival in the name of the former queen and the merrymaking citizens had organized themselves around her giant statue at the square. Luchist normally hated noisy crowds but right now, he was grateful for their presence. The continued revelry served as an indication that the Royal Police had been in good control of the situation. Nobody was curious enough to wonder why the number of police officers in the area had suddenly multiplied.
That's right. Enjoy the festivities and let us do our job. Luchist said to no one.
Just a few minutes ago they were chasing after a death row convict who had escaped from prison. The unstable man who was charged with arson and multiple counts of homicide possessed a gun which he took from the jail guard he had recently killed. Knowing that the police would not want to stir mass hysteria at such time, the convict had led them into the party scene and blended himself among the citizens.
Luchist's mission was to retrieve the criminal as discretely as possible so as not to cause panic during a celebratory occasion. He carefully surveyed the crowd with his eyes, examining each ragged and dirty person he could find among the people. But it was a difficult task of finding a needle in a haystack. The commencement of the floating lantern exhibit had citizens flocking the square every minute.
Come on. Show yourself. We got you surrounded. Luchist wanted to loudly threaten the convict in hiding but he knew too well he couldn't do that at such place. He roamed his eyes to check if a police unit had been deployed in every possible exit at the town square. The security forces had intermingled with the citizens, eating barbecues, watching street performers, talking to women. This was to avoid suspicions from the townsfolk that something was wrong.
You can't escape us. You can't escape ME.
Just when Luchist was getting impatient, a girl screamed nearby.
End of Chapter 29
