I know my introduction took forever to establish but instead of making everything confusing by throwing in numerous subplots in the beginning, I figured this method would make it easier for readers to follow along. I also need to apologize for the fact that I am tardy with this update…
Disclaimer: Nothing.
-Chapter 7 – Moscow-
By nightfall as the sky veiled itself in an obscure navy, clear of menacing clouds and brewing storms. The weather played out in their favor, allowing a safe passage to the capital of Russia where the ominous castle, barricaded with walls stood strong, overlooking the entire domain of the peasants.
The woods dispersed and by the end of the long, tiring, weary days of travel, totaling a week and half, the large city came into view. The increasingly late hour left the streets deserted and quiet to the hooves of their horses strolling in along the stones in search of a resting place. Bars were still lively as a few rare attendants stumbled out into the cold, crossing ways with the stallions in their drunken stupors.
As luck would have it, they were fortunate to find an establishment still open as they knocked on the large oak door of a hotel and received a welcoming from the elderly owner. Another young lass of chocolaty brown, curly locks showed them to their room as a young lad took care of their horses. They were the innkeeper's children and under his orders, obliged to their tasks.
''I am afraid that our rooms have but two beds sirs.'' She bowed politely, granting them entrance.
''Not a problem.'' Yuuri concluded, eyeing their new quarters. ''We shall manage.''
The daughter smiled in relief, worried they might ask for another room when one was not available and excused herself timidly, halting when the same voice spoke up again.
''Miss, may you prepare me a mug of medovukha before I retire?'' He asked, smiling with a charming air, one so amiable and attractive that her cheeks flushed a bright pink before she meekly nodded her head and padded off down the hallways, quiet as a mouse.
Either of his companions paid attention to his antics as they lugged in the bags from the saddles, dividing the belongings, carefully eyeing the room and its thin walls.
''So, what now?'' He returned his attention to the duo, arms crossed against his chest.
''We, simply wait and settle in, we can talk tomorrow where it is busier in the market.''
Rei sat and, tested the mattress, as he looked at them, completely serious. The stern look faded as he frowned his black eyebrows and finished with a last statement, a random comment to which both listeners sighed.
''This might be a long night.''
Yuuri joined him on the bed, sadly nodding his head in approval jokingly, at the feel of the material. Boris rolled his eyes at their display that was oblivious to anything severe about the days ahead. How was he to help take down an Empire with them, he mused and with a grunt, stalked his boots back towards the exit.
''I shall be back by morn.''
''Stho?(what)'' Brushed past the other Russian's lips as he looked up, chorused by the Chinese, breathing out a: ''Nani?(what)''
Each meant natively, a simple, what that did not phase the last as he slipped out his reply, glancing over a broad shoulder at them.
''I am going out.''
Then he turned again, pulling open the knob and pushing it but half way close as a thump sounded, next, a loud thud to the wooden boards and finally, the splash of liquid dripping on the floor.
They scrambled to their feet, both heads peaking around the oak, met with their maid looking fearfully up at the faint sound of cursing from the wet encounter. She began to stutter an apology, shaky in words, offering to clean it up. He snorted and handing his vest to the spectators behind him as he peeled off the sticky alcohol soaked up in his shirt.
The cleaner blinked, flushing a bright pink as she quickly scampered to get up, hurrying away to get towels. With a scowl plastered on his face, un-amused, nor impressed by the smirks and snickers, he growled and dropped the drenched cloth to the floor. Not a single occupied door had opened, thankfully to the sudden accident, resulting in broad grins.
They let him through as he grabbed back his vest, tossing it onto the far left bed, it did not matter to his aggravated sigh, escaping his throat.
''Now since my sudden removal by you both, without any of my gear, I am without clothes.''
Either mustered the courage to utter a small oops and instead, Yuuri walked to his belongings, rummaging through the articles before throwing him a black, long sleeved shirt. As he looked over though, he bit his lip faintly, and could not help but let his eyes fall over the bare chest. He smiled to himself as the female returned with water and a long cloth.
Without a word, she bowed her head and made a beeline exit, only stopping to clean once their door was closed.
Boris left as he said he would, saying briefly that they could take the beds. No complaints, they complied and rested, one without his drink, and the other contemplating the following day on his rather... lumpy mattress.
When dawn broke, a pair of tawny eyes met the day first, ensued with a light groan. With a stretch and some bones cracking, he yawned and threw the blanket off him. The other never heard a thing of footsteps or changing, even the metal hinges squeaking as he slipped out of their room, sounding so loud in the dead silence.
Rei ventured to the dinning hall, having only crossed paths with a cook, commencing breakfast as he walked towards the window, gazing out at the colors rising in the sky. He was glad to be inside and not camping in the woods with the bitter cold but alas, their arrival concluded there might not be more nights of arctic, in the future. Moscow was the end of the line, the decision to their fate and succession or failure. Whatever the outcome, there was no turning back.
He idly toyed with his hair, repulsed by its rough feel, loosing its smoothness and silk feel from the lack of bathing and washing. Of course, he would indulge in the warm water later on but for now, he would have to tend to bind the wild ebony mane for the day. The wrap unraveled during his slumber, barely still in tact, held up by a red elastic he proceeded to tug on. Once removed, the strands tumbled loosely all around him and the freedom felt wondrous to his head.
''Your hair is beautiful.'' The quiet comment behind him made him turn, only to smile at the young maiden, bowing her head to him.
''Spashiba.(Thank you)'' He thanked, recalling a word his first companion had once used when speaking to a merchant that offered directions.
Rei proceed to retie the lengthy tresses, ready to commence the binding, his common ritual every morn when the soft voice interrupted him.
''May I?'' She asked carefully, quickly following her statement in a low explanation. ''I feel as if I owe you and your friends for my clumsiness.''
He found no need to object and let her nimble hands work the bind perfectly, almost done as quickly as he himself could do the task. An impressed smile thanked her.
''I used to do this for a slave who worked here…''She trailed off, clasping the end with the red ribbon he handed to her.
''His name was Lai…'' She had not seen the amber depths widen and pupils constrict as he turned his head, veiling the expressions of his past by his fringe, haphazardly falling over his matching red bandana. ''He looked much like you.''
Lai did hold striking resemblance to his own countenance and Rei, diving into the memories of his childhood, remembered the last toothy grin, days prior to the attack on their village and traditional hunt that his cousin smiled before pushing his sister into the pond. Why had her life been taken at such a tender age? Why had he been forced into slavery? Why had their lives been stolen?
''He had beautiful hair, like your own…but after days of work he threatened to cut it off because he could not manage it…''
An interruption to her reverie came when a chef spoke out loudly from the kitchen, hurrying her face in a deep, baritone Russian demand and with a bow, the young lady fled to her duties. Then, from the front door, Boris stepped inside, barely nodding at Rei who remained oblivious to it all, speaking a silent prayer for his long lost friends.
Moscow, without a doubt was busy with merchants, flooding the snow-covered streets with their booted feet scurrying and trinkets, and such for sale. The three walked through the crowds as a mismatched group, gaining attention from the inhabitants. One strode in ivory with an aristocratic smug grin, another looking much like a ruffian, cold and glaring at the stares with an air of danger surrounding him as the last, well, he to them was but a slave, scum, owned by the rich to do his bidding.
Yet, it only made them more believable. The false noble ventured into town with his slave to browse the shops and a bodyguard, as it seemed for protection. Their act may have increased glances but the officers, roaming the roads on horses treated them as everyone else.
As a last stallion rode past them, the beasts head jerked towards a large uproar and gathering of peasants. Hooves clattered upon the cobblestones as the officer trotted over to the large grouped people, circling it to maintain it in an orderly fashion as whatever event occurred drew in their curiosity.
Boris was the first to walk in that direction, ensued by each he left standing on the sidewalk. Pushing through some of the men and woman assembled, his gray eyes focused upon the shrieks and laughter mixing like a horrendously cruel melody of fear and pleasure. The veiled sadists met up with their next victims to the crude method of decapitation. This was redefined capital punishment at its finest.
He knew why the maiden screamed her lungs out in terror as the executioners grubby fingers trailed down over her pale, soft neck in yearning to see the skin split. She would trash but it futile for her hands were tied securely behind her. A second, large, burly man joined the first as he held up a long machete idly grazing it over the exposed flesh of her throat. They were teasing her. The metal rested on the nape of her neck and with a violent upward motion, he lopped off her long blonde, curly hair. Her brown eyes pleaded for mercy but to no avail. Tears built up in her eyes and overflowed from her long lashes, staining the pure skin as they dripped from her cheeks.
No axe would be used like prior disemboweling, proving sometimes to take up to several blows or charring of her body at the stake in a roaring blaze of embers; her fate would be the guillotine, as the speaker announced loudly, for all to hear. She wouldnot receive an easy escape like the noose offered.He chortled, swaying her tresses in his hands for the audience. Some threw rubbles for but a strand as the lady herself wept for clemency. More laughter erupted, silenced when her body was forced onto her knees roughly.
The anticipation gleamed off the waiting faces. Rei, disgusted, looked away from the horrid sight of brutal macabre as Yuuri bowed his head for the struggling woman. Boris was the only one to watch her last moments of wretched sobs and strangled cries as her dark orbs took a final gaze upon the crowd, barely patient for her demise. She yelled profanities and tried to finish with a proclamation of her innocence, the last string of words cut short, literally.
The executioner tugged on the rope and the heavy, triangular blade fell from its short distance, not even three feet and proceeded swiftly to bring forth her inevitable ending. The forty kilograms ripped through the skin in less then a blink of the eye, severing muscle, the end of her spinal cord and finishing with the jugular vein before its sharp edge lodged itself in the wood. Blood splattered and through the looming stillness, her head rolled into the basket, the first prey of the day.
As it tumbled into the wicker, soaking the woven strands with her crimson essence said to be vile and repulsive, a whore to the willing men of Moscow, the crowd cheered and Boris smiled.
-TBC-
I continued along with more tidbits of Rei's past, which to me, personally felt like useless filler then continued with, what some might call a very gory way to end the chapter. You will see why I used this cruelty soon and understand its purpose and role to expend on Boris' character.
Another historical fact, the guillotine was not put into practice for capital punishment in France until 1792, a short while after the time period in which this takes place. All the information I used about it is accurate, except the height is exactly 2.3 meters, by French standards.
Lastly, for those wondering, the servant is actually based on the wonderful Hikari no Donya and the one I killed happens to be me...eheh... Review?