Reluctant King: Hikou

Chapter 3

Hikou watched as Kouji was thrown back and stared in shock when the attacker threw an electrocution spell.

'He's going to die...' the thought struck him and he tried to think of what to do. Without his sword, he was defenseless. He spotted the other man's weapon laying on the ground, more than likely dropped when he had been first attacked. He quickly scooped up the weapon and looked it over. He pointed the hollow end at the attacker and pulled the switch beneath it. The weapon recoiled in his hands forcefully, exploding with a loud bang. The attacker cried out, his hands flying to the right side of his chest. He dropped the weapon, his hands trembling, and rushed to Kouji's side, his hand moving to carress the man's throat. He gathered him in his arms when he felt the he was still alive and turned to run when his feet felt rooted to the spot.

"I am impressed by your cunning and resolve, young king. Unfortunatly," he stepped before Hikou and peered into his eyes, ice blue meeting piercing gold with a sinister smirk. "It isn't enough to stop me." He gripped the younger man's chin and the king snarled.

"Ayuru, how dare you-"

"Now is that anyway to speak to your uncle?" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'll let you live for now, boy. I'll even let the human live." His eyes opened again. "But you'll never see Atlantis again. As for your brother, he is still alive for now. He escaped with Hakurou and another boy, but don't worry. He'll be dealt with shortly." Hikou trembled with rage and tried to move, but Ayuru's magic held him firmly in place. The older man laughed lightly and muttered the spell for teleportation.

When Hikou next looked around, he was in what seemed to be a cell, chains hanging from the ceiling and high on the walls. Two hands grabbed Hikou from behind and another cloaked figure appeared before him and took Kouji, dropping him in one corner. The spell broke then and Hikou struggled to escape, but Ayuru was quick to grab his forearms tightly and, with the other cloaked figure still gripping his upper arms, he was led to a set of chains near Kouji. It took both cloaked figures to hold Hikou's arms in place while the blonde Atlantean clasped a manacle around each of his wrists. Despite that, they still leapt away from the king when Ayuru told them to let go. He looked down at his nephew before turning away, the two others following him on either side. It was then Hikou noted that both were the same height and even moved the same way. He shook his head and struggled against his restraints until long after Ayuru and the twins had left. Finally exhausted he slumped against the wall, the chains keeping his hands stretched above him at an awkward angle. He bowed his head, glaring at the floor for a few minutes, teeth clenched, before he finally gave in and allowed sleep to claim him.

~*~

When Hikou's eyes opened again, Kouji stood at the bars of the cell and seemed to be examining something on the other side. He shifted, his arms aching, and watched him for a moment. As though feeling Hikou's eyes on him, Kouji turned around and smiled at him.

"Finally awake, huh?" He went to the Atlantean's side and began rubbing his shoulders a bit. "These guys ain't playin' around, huh?."

"How long have you been up?" he asked the human, looking into his eyes. 'He has eyes like emeralds...' he found himself thinking.

"Couple 'a hours, I guess. Hold still, ok?" He reached up the began messing with the lock on one of Hikou's manacles. After a moment, a soft click was heard and Hikou's right hand was free. Another minute passed and his left hand soon joined his right before the young king and he rubbed his wrists. Kouji took one of his wrists in his hand and massaged it gently. "I can get us outta here. Those morons didn't serch me, I guess. Didn't know I had a lock pick on me." He rose and went to the door, leaving Hikou musing over a few different things.

'Humans are more resourceful than we thought...' All at once, he found he was noticing things about Kouji that he hadn't before, too busy worrying about his brother and how he was going to find Hakurou. Kouji's hair was nearly the same color as his own, only a shade or two lighter. His skin was tanned and he wore a dark blue shirt and pants that were covered with pockets and tucked into black boots that came up to the middle of his shins. He looked back at Hikou after a moment and nodded as he pushed open the cel door, signaling for the Atlantean to follow. Together, they slunk down the hall in the way they hoped led out. After wandering in the dim light for a time, they came to a wall with a familiar symbol emblazed on it.

"Dead end," Kouji muttered. He looked back at Hikou and shrugged. Guess we gotta go back. Hikou nodded, his eyes looking over the symbol, memorizing it. They walked back the way they had come, looking around for some way out. They passed by their cel and continued walking until they come to another dead end. "This is fuckin' nuts," the human mutter, exasperated. Hikou looked back down the hall, thinking back to the symbol they had seen.

"I think...this area is magically sealed off..." he said finally.

"Can ya get us outta here? I mean, yer brother-"

"My brother is a mage. I was raised as a fighter." He looked at Kouji, noting the other man's slumped shoulders. "We can't get out unless a mage lets us out."

"That's just great. Then why the fuck even bother with a cell?"

"It's easier to keep prisoners confined than to have to chase after them," Ayuru's voice spoke from behind them. Hikou whirled around to face his uncle and felt his body rise off the ground. "Prehaps I underestimated you, human. Trust that I won't this time. In fact," he began, turning and walking back towards their cell, both the human and the Atlantean following unwillingly. "I think you should learn the punishment earned by those who try to escape." In his hands, a coiled, black whip appeared and he pulled it taunt with a snap, making even Hikou wince. It was then that he realized that he only had one choice left to him. He could only hope that Houjun would hear him calling out when he had no idea where his brother was let alone what condition he was in.

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